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

>>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. >>