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.