Re: [Fsfe-uk] free software and local authorities

[Ian Lynch]

On Tue, 2004-05-11 at 18:29, Clive Menzies wrote:
> On (11/05/04 16:22), Andres Baravalle wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I am working at Sheffield University on a European project (COSPA) 
> > investigating the use of free software and open data standards within 
> > public administrations (and charities) 
> > (http://www.cospa-project.org/about.html).
> > 
> > COSPA is involving public administration, universities, research centers
> > and companies from the United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary, Denmark, Ireland 
> > and Belgium.
> > 
> > We are looking for local authorities and/or charities to run pilot tests 
> >  of open source in the desktop, in the United Kingdom. At the present 
> > time, we contacted really many local authorities without any significant 
> > result.
> > 
> > Any suggestions or comments? By the way, one of our partners (SOCTIM) is 
> > willing to grant up to 10.000 euros to public organisations willing to 
> > participate.
> I can't promise any special influence but I'm Chair of Governors at
> Highgate Wood School and College of Performing Arts, a Haringey (London)
> comprehensive school.  If you would like to try Haringey, I'm happy to
> help but I don't have a huge amount of time.
> 
> I am keen to see open source software in Education particularly.

I think you will have more success with individual schools than with
LEAs. I deal with quite a few schools and I have got some using
GNU/Linux thin clients. I'm fairly sure East Hull City Learning Centre
would be interested, for example, but I can put you in touch with
several other GNU/Linux using schools if this is of interest. LEAs will
probably only take much notice when a number of their schools look
likely to break ranks unless they happen to have a free software
champion in an influential post and even then it could be difficult. Its
generally mush easier to stop change than to start it ;-)

-- 
Ian Lynch <address@hidden>
ZMS Ltd