Becta open source software

The broad fouryear framework replaces the 2010 british educational communications and technology agency becta ict services framework, which the department for education took ownership of when. Open source software in schools a case study report oss watch. The full text of the becta report is available by clicking here the report looks at kaleidoscope, an lor learning object repository and is by gillian thomas and matthew horne of demos, which is a greenhouse for new ideas which can improve the quality of our lives. Becta green lights open source software in schools, at. In a strange way, using oss is a bit like buying fairtrade products. Automatic bell alarm and creating school time easy and fast. Freeopen source software in slovenian primary and secondary schools survey 2007 conference paper pdf available july 2008 with 79 reads how we measure reads. Im off to bett 2009 on friday, one of the largest educational technologyrelated trade fairs in the world. Sep 23, 2008 posts about open source written by james clay. Becta schools deal stuns british openistas the register.

Erp plm business process management ehs management supply chain management ecommerce quality management cmms. Sep 23, 2008 becta green lights open source software in schools, at last. This year im speaking about my use of linuxpowered netbooks as part of a bectafunded open source schools project of which ive been part. The sirius bid was backed by red hat, the pioneering open source software cowpowayshen, and pulled in million of euros of development backed by the. Open source threatens the revenue streams of exactly the same businesses that were hurt by drinkordie. Jun 12, 2008 back in 2005, becta the body that advises the uk government on it policy in education issued a report which concluded that free and open source software could reduce the cost of deploying. Becta has pressed hard for interoperability standards viz the schools interop. A may 2005 becta report indicated that the use of open source software could produce total cost savings of 44% per pc for primary schools and 24% for secondary schools, compared to standard. Though getting a large amount of criticism from various sources including this list, the becta software for educational institutions framework seif was never about banning software, but about getting a framework in place to allow schools to purchase software avoiding many of the problems and pitfalls that may arise from a school going it. Open source software treats software as knowledge similar to scientific knowledge or other forms of knowledge, that enhance the human condition by being shared. This report indicates that open source software can provide a costeffective and efficient solution in schools if effectively deployed. Jul 23, 2016 download dutugemunu bell system for free. In its report, becta also recommended schools support opensource software.

About becta becta is the uk governments lead agency for information and communications technology ict in education and oversees the procurement of all ict equipment and elearning strategy for schools. Aug 25, 2008 open source software treats software as knowledge similar to scientific knowledge or other forms of knowledge, that enhance the human condition by being shared. This project, funded by the dfes, was one of an interrelated series, all looking at ways of helping schools make. Becta, the schools it agency, has signed a new licence with microsoft that it said offers better value for money and does not hinder open source adoption. Becta is the uk governments lead agency for information and communications technology ict in education and oversees the procurement of all ict equipment and elearning strategy for schools. Freelibre open source software oss freelibre open source software floss programs have licenses giving users the freedom. Back in 2005, a small scale study by becta identified significant. Open source software in schools a study of the spectrum of. In may 2005 becta published a report cite press release title open source software in schools publisher becta date200505. It was established in 1998 through the reconstitution of the national council. Bectas remit has changed and they are now the core source of advice for the dfes i.

Becta green lights open source software in schools, at last. Why schools should use open source software an open mind. At the end of 2008 becta collaborated with the governments procurement services organisation ogcbuying. Uk pays lip service to open source in schools computer. It identifies the ways open source software oss has been incorporated, used and managed in school ict infrastructures. While independent developers are still an important part of the open source community, today much of the work on open source projects is being done by corporate developers. Becta was a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. A study of the spectrum of use and related ict infrastructure costs may 2005this report records work that becta has done with schools which have implemented a range of open source software oss solutions. Citeseerx document details isaac councill, lee giles, pradeep teregowda.

Awareness of open source software amongst teachers, technical staff and. The authors suggest that an approach similar to open source software code should be used as means of encouraging teachers. Jan 26, 2009 at the end of 2008 becta collaborated with the governments procurement services organisation ogcbuying. The potential of open source approaches for education nfer. Jun 17, 2008 the uk governments leading it advisory body for education bectas decision to award the contract for open source promotion project to an inexperienced consultancy left rival bidders fuming. Open source provides many opportunities for schools to break away from the shackles of expensive license and purchase agreements that are often related to proprietary software. Bectas advice is the stick with what they have, windows xp and office 2000. A major threat for the oss development is software patenting. Becta the quasigovernment agency behind educational it in the united kingdom has been steadily building a reputation as one of the most open source friendly bodies in charge of inschool tech. Jan 09, 2007 becta s own research shows that open source software can generate savings right across government. Jan 10, 2008 in its report, becta also recommended schools support open source software. Discover a new global phenomenon, and global community with a common purpose. Though getting a large amount of criticism from various sources including this list, the becta software for educational institutions framework seif was never about banning software, but about getting a framework in place to allow schools to purchase software avoiding many of the problems and pitfalls that may arise from a.

The move will surprise many in the open source community who have criticised becta for being too closely aligned with. Becta considers the appointment of sirius a major step forward and that it sent a message to the community that were taking oss seriously. I see it as bectas role to work with open source and proprietary software providers to ensure that schools and colleges can make the most. This report examines eight case studies of schools included in bectas open source. Back in 2005, becta the body that advises the uk government on it policy in education issued a report which concluded that free and open source software could reduce the cost of deploying. Technology open source question for schools bbc news. May, 2005 becta believes that software used in schools should be of a high quality and adhere to open standards, enabling compatibility and interoperability between products. Becta already has vast experience with open source software as part of its ongoing software compatibility evaluation. Bectas own research shows that open source software can generate savings right across government. Open source software uses a different type of licence aimed at ensuring the software s development and royalty free distribution. The filesharing software filezilla is also a great open source software for windows 10. Open source software in slovenian primary and secondary.

Cyberoam iview open source siem list cyberoamiview. Best reasons to get an online loan from a private lender. Ive been invited to be part of a becta project into open source software oss. Open source company wins becta accreditation sirius open. Jun, 2008 becta, which in recent months has been a vocal critic of microsofts monopolistic stranglehold on software, invited bidders to tender for its open source schools project in may. The recently hyped open source report from becta has finally been officially released it was delayed because of the uk election. Libre and open source software floss as it encompasses notions of free.

May 24, 2010 thats not all the fault of becta, of course, but it has been criticised for being captured by technology suppliers and failing to keep up with trends like the use of open source software. Pdf freeopen source software in slovenian primary and. Despite the lure of open source software, becta said it was committed to a licensing agreement it has with microsoft, which gives schools discounts on much of its software. The term open source as defined by the open source initiative. Open source outfit sirius one of 12 suppliers included in becta s new schools software framework. In 2008, it suggested that schools should adopt more open source software which led to microsoft dropping some. Bectas massive school database interoperability project sif will create huge opportunities for open source software companies.

Becta formerly known as the british educational communications and technology agency is a nondepartmental public body of the department for children, schools and families in the uk. Students, schools and the taxpayer can now use open source software with the assurance of an eubacked scheme. May 24, 2010 the treasurys decision to close the education ict agency becta by november. Government replaces becta education it procurement framework. This project, funded by the dfes, was one of an interrelated series, all looking at ways of. Becta supports the principles of open source software and recognises the valueformoney benefits that largerscale deployment could bring, the statement read. As an independent research organisation, its aim is to create an open resource of knowledge and learning that operates beyond. Pdf this article deals with the use of freeopen source software at the primary and secondary level of education. Odf is supported by competitors of microsoft, including ibm and sun. The open source software packages available in project schools 20. It was established in 1998 through the reconstitution of the national council for educational technology ncet, which oversaw the procurement of all ict equipment and elearning strategy for schools. Educational technology association becta are expected. Becta open source software in schools released open thinking. Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe the full moon, but for the open source community across the pond, the jinx was in full force.

Becta is the governments lead agency for information and communications technology ict in education, covering the united kingdom. Becta flipped out for friday the thirteenth linux journal. The supplier in the uk will be the ict solution provider, not martin, and as the bsf programme commences, every state school in the uk will eventually have a new school building with a new ict solution provided via their lea. Hitherto, competition in the schools database market has been. Becta green lights open source software in schools, at last the.

Private lenders have exploded in popularity over the last decade or so with people all over the uk. The becta report followed up on previous uk government surveys that suggested the use of open source software in the public sector could provide a credible potential alternative to proprietary. At issue for becta is microsofts support for its own office open xml ooxml document format in office 2007 at the expense of comparable support for odf. What is the significance of open source software for the. Becta s massive school database interoperability project sif will create huge opportunities for open source software companies. Both formats have been approved as isoiec standards, with microsofts ooxml gaining ratification just last month. Becta technical paper open source software terms as the original. Why as an educator you should care about open source software. Open source software has its origins back in academic computer. Thats not all the fault of becta, of course, but it has been criticised for being captured by technology suppliers and failing to keep up with trends like the use of opensource software. Open source company wins becta accreditation sirius open source. Open source software uses a different type of licence aimed at ensuring the softwares development and royalty free distribution. Open source software has long been the powerhouse behind the development of the internet, not least lamp configuration servers that run on linux, apache, mysql, and php. It also presents the perceptions of schools senior management teams smts, teaching staff and pupils about the impact and use of oss.

Becta believes that software used in schools should be of a high quality and adhere to open standards, enabling compatibility and interoperability between products. Openfta is currently available in versions for windows and linux. Most open source and free software is initially produced by an individual or small team of. It contains piles of emulators for all the most popular consoles as cores, which are adapted to download, update and work within the software. It is interesting that the same agency becta has been lately accused of inconsistency in its strategy towards open source, following the discovery that it has omitted many open source products from the educational software databases marson, 2006a. Bectas open source contract to alpha plus outrages other. Bbc news technology open source question for schools. Clients include startups, bluechip multinationals and public sector organisations. Last year, if you remember, i spoke with futurelab about barriers and enablers with regard to the adoption of educational technology, and in. Becta, which in recent months has been a vocal critic of microsofts monopolistic stranglehold on software, invited bidders to tender for its open source schools project in may. The treasurys decision to close the education ict agency becta by november. I havent got a chance to look at it very closely, but as i do, my comments may follow. Provides information and articles, advice on getting started, case studies of its adoption in schools, a directory for exploring what is available, and a glossary. Openfta is an advanced tool for fault tree analysis, containing powerful algorithms for determining minimum cuts and failures including monte carlo simulation.

Sep 22, 2008 students, schools and the taxpayer can now use open source software with the assurance of an eubacked scheme. A study of the spectrum of use and related ict infrastructure costs project report may 2005. Open source outfit sirius one of 12 suppliers included in bectas new schools software framework open source outfit sirius one of 12 suppliers included in bectas new schoolssoftware framework. Well, its what others have been saying all along, but its great to see a large, government sponsored study conclude in this way. I guess if we really want to preserve our freedom to code in australia and other nice places for the good of the industry, economy and community, we need to inform, persuade and shame usa lawmakers and opinion leaders. Advice on general licensing issues is covered in two becta papers.

In 2008, it suggested that schools should adopt more open source. If you are in a situation where you need to borrow money, this is an option you should at least look into. Sep 21, 2017 if you think of open source software as being primarily the work of hobbyists and lone developers, your impression is sorely out of date. The extension has drawn criticism from open source advocates in the uk who believe that becta is undermining its own research by not encouraging the adoption. I do agree that the centre of debate is about power relations, but probably arrive at a slightly different conclusion. The great open source behemoth of videogame emulation, retroarch is an almost unfathomably ambitious hivemind venture. Transforming high school classrooms with freeopen source. Uk government report approves open source for schools.