[Linux-aus] Organizing an Australian Open Source Roadshow?

[Paul Shirren]

Yeh, South Australia spent $10.5 million for a 3 year cycle as well 
,until Feb 2006, http://www.tenders.sa.gov.au/contract/view.do?id=639

But that is something the likes of OSV can take up with the powers that 
be. And voters with their MPs. That has to be addressed at the top. 
There are receptive people within these organisations and we need to 
work with them to see what we can do to help them.

My guess is that one thing we can do to help at a grass roots level is 
demystify OSS for educators and show them benefits of using OSS from a 
teaching perspective. Once you are dealing with Teachers I think you 
need to address the educational benefits not cost or technology. I think 
that should be the focus of an OSS Educational Roadshow.

So I am not saying that cost isn't an issue. It certainly is (it all 
adds up). But it isn't the only issue, or I think, the main one to 
tackle at the school level.

A lot of people in education see software licensing as a necessary 
expense, and one that they got at bargain basement prices compared to 
everyone else. They think MS software is all there is, and they get to 
take it home for free. It is already there and working. We need to think 
of more reasons to push change than just cost.

Con Zymaris wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 30, 2004 at 01:09:41PM +1030, Paul Shirren wrote:
> 
>>There is no point tackling MS software head on in schools. Mostly it 
>>does an OK job(they have nothing better to compare it with) and costs 
>>them practically nothing (but it all adds up).
> 
> 
> In Victoria, IIRC the public schools spend around $10 million on Microsoft
> every purchase cycle. $10 million isn't 'practically nothing' when you
> multiply it out to the private schools (who pay mre per unit) and across
> the country. I expect something like $50 million going to Microsoft from
> edu.au.
> 
>