[ILUG] More Linux in the classroom!

[John Gay]

Not only is it possible, but it is very likely, looking at the use of Learning
Logic in the States. As for a pilot school, St. Oliver's community College in
Drogheda already has a full Linux System installed. If we stress the benefits of
Free O/S, and the ability to use cheap, second-hand hardware, I can't see how
the schools can pass it up. I recently saw an ad in the Buy-N-Sell for 21 486
computers for £4,500! This would provide a complete classroom of X-Terminals
that could be networked to one P III running the software. As Linux's memory
management would only open one instance of the package and share it between the
terminals, the performance of 21 terminals off of one PC would not be severe.
Learning Logic seems to be set-up for this type of use anyway. My daughters
current school, primary level, has been running sponsored walks each year to
raise money for computers, but, not knowing about Linux, they keep buying one,
brand new, top-of-the-line PC and are already talking about retiring some of the
PC's they bought just a few years ago! This would be dreadful, but without
Quality Linux programmes, why would they use Linux? It's a bit of a catch-22
situation at the moment. Can't use Linux because we have no software, can't
develop software 'cause no-one's using Linux.

I agree we should create a focus team to design and implement a school's based
system. But don't forget the office staff also has requirements for there
computers as well. We must consider these requirements when creating software
for this system.

Count me in on this one.

Cheers,

     John Gay