[Fsf-friends] Computer Education @ School

[Ramanraj K]

Mahesh T. Pai wrote:
  > Ramanraj K said on Wed, Sep 15, 2004 at 07:25:53PM +0530,:
  >
  >  > I'll attend.  We also need to present a memorandum.
  >
  > Please take a look at
  > http://puggy.symonds.net/~fsug-kochi/mass-memo.html

Mahesh, please point to links that describe the current curriculum for
computer science for IT@School. History is repeating itself again, in TN 
now :)

While the Govt. of Kerala has provided the infrastructure required for
IT@Schools, here in TN, Computer Science infrastructure _and_ teaching 
_may_ be handed over to proprietary concerns.

Elcot should be asked to do what Keltron has already done for Kerala:

<quote from www.keltron.org>
Involved in the introduction of GNU History in curriculum of IT@School
project.
Involved in the introduction of GNU Linux Operating System to new
Curriculum.
Supplied Hardware with preloaded GNU Linux Operating system and other
Applications to IT@ school project.
Training in GNU LINUX platforms for government employees and other
organisations Various training courses on GNU Linux and other free
software tools
Various training courses on GNU Linux and other free software tools like
PHP, Perl, Python, MySQL, PostgreSQL etc.
</quote>

The proposed program schedule of Elcot is at:
http://www.elcot.com/ncce/prog-schedule.htm
http://www.elcot.com/ncce/prog-schedule-day2.htm

<quote>
Day 2, 25th September, Saturday, 2004
Venue : Hotel Trident Sheraton , Chennai
0930 to 1100 hrs International models in Computer Education
Invited Presentations from 3 speakers of - INTEL / Microsoft / Apple
</quote>

It should be interesting to  hear about the plans the special invitees
from Microsoft  and Apple have in  mind for our  school children.  The
whole idea appears to be to  _give_ information to the delegates and I
am  not sure  if the  program schedule  seriously allows  delegates to
address on the issues within the allotted two half hours of "moderated
open discussion".

Further, it has been reported that:

"Private companies in computer education have brought in the hardware,
software  and  the staff  to  teach the  course  framed  by the  State
Government.  Thus the schools  get the  benefit of  computer education
without the  government bearing any recurring expenditure.   This is a
model that other States are hoping to follow."

As you know, attempts  like this  in the  US have  been rejected  as 
unethical and monopolistic.

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-276058.html?legacy=cnet
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-808241.html
http://www.defenselink.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/2004_Advisories/ADV_0402.htm

BTW, www.elcot.com has announced that:
National Conference on Computer Education in Schools
   is being postponed & will be rescheduled to another date

I hope that the plans change as well, for the better :)

Meanwhile, we could send in a memorandum to the school authorities in 
TN, on the lines of your earlier memo to school authorities in Kerala, 
to pre-empt any decision allowing propreitary concerns to take over 
teaching of Computer Science.