[Fsf-friends] Free Software & Schools of Kerala
Vivek Varghese Cherian
cherry@asianetindia.com
Wed Mar 23 15:45:08 IST 2005
On Sun, Mar 20, 2005 at 02:05:39PM +0530, Arun M wrote:
>>>Dear Friends,
>>>
>>> Many of you would be aware of controversies relating to use of
>>> proprietary softwares in schools of Kerala. Teachers unions, free
>>> software community and political leaders in Kerala worked against
>>> government policies favoring proprietary software companies like MS
>>>in
>>> School IT Education. We saw public debates on initiatives like
>>> Microsoft Project Shiksha. Here in Kerala, Free software is no
>>> longer an issue of Software Developers and Users.
>>>
>>> Today Kerala Government seems to have decided not to
>>> provide training on proprietary software(with its resources).
>>>IT@School has
>>> started efforts to provide teacher training on GNU/Linux (IT@School
>>> is a small wing under Dept of Education, Govt of Kerala which is
>>> looking after IT Education in schools). First batch training is
>>> expected to start by 31st of this month.
>>>
>>> While IT@School is going forwards with their formal channels of
>>> operations in providing teacher training and support , we feel that
>>> it is necessary to have an informal network which will complement
>>> official efforts. This kind of formal and informal system is in
>>> tune with culture of free software movement.
>>> (GNU is a social project -- RMS)
>>>
>>> To establish informal network we are organising a state level
>>> meeting on 2nd of April in Cochin. Teachers and free software
>>> community volunteers from every district of Kerala are expected to
>>> participate in the meeting. District level action groups will be
>>> formed in the meeting. We would also like to chart out action plans to
>>> migrate all schools in Kerala to free software in next couple of
>>>years.
>>> Starting with 8th Standard this year.
>>>
>>> I would like to request all free software activists from Kerala to
>>> make yourself available for this meeting and contribute to the
>>> initiative.
>>>
>>>
>>>Thanking You,
>>>Arun.
>>>
>>>
>>>Venue: Shikshak Sadan, near Ernakulam South Railway station.
>>>Time : 10 am - 3.30 pm
>>>
>>>Please mail me offlist if you would like to join or need more
>>>information.
>>>
I'll be there for the meeting. I can co-ordinate the work in the
Ernakulam district level action group till July. After July i'll be
free to work in the other districts of Kerala.
--
Vivek Varghese Cherian
Free as in Freedom <www.gnu.org>
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