Open Source software in UK schools

[GrumbleDook]

The first point of any negotiation should be the requirements of the business/course. The course specification will detail this. I don't think like-for-like really needs to come into it because you end up paying for unnecessary features. If the requirements are outlined at the beginning then it maybe that a commercial product will be the only viable option - and sometimes it may be the cheapest. It's buying a Porche vs a Ford in some instances, still a 70mph road.

 

If the school has chosen to use software to deliver the requirements of the curriculum then it is likely to have been done so against the existing requirements. There will always be a comparison in these case. If nothing else that is how procurements are run. If you already have a working system that delivers and you are making no changes to your requirements then the baseline will commonly be your existing setup. That doesn't mean that you don't compromise (as I gave examples) but the simplest way of doing this is via like for like ... remembering that not all of our schools will have the time or the expertise to run a full procurement or analysis ... a like-for-like comparison is the simplest way for them to make sure they do not disadvantage themselves and their students, rush into a decision or waste more money by changing and then having to change back. (this applies not just to looking at OSS but so many other things in schools).

 

App 1 has U and App 2 has V ... we need U to do X, does V cover that? Yes? Good ... No? Is it close enough or can we work around it?

 

Not many schools go in for a complete product-based planning setup to break down each of their requirements and needs ... believe it or not many teachers do things a bit on the hoof ... and not always planned. Whilst I would like to see a complete needs analysis for each and every aspect of the technology needed by the school, this is often easist (not always best) done when changes occur ... a new exam comes in, a change of SLT, National Curiciulum is scrapped, etc ... but this ties in with the whole aspect of planning, change management and gettign your requirements sorted. From the paper, the only requirement I can see is that you need to save money by swapping to OSS.

[GrumbleDook]

The key point that I get from the document are that budgets aren't going up, and if IT Support staff can show cost savings by reducing licensing costs whilst maintaining a service, it may just save our jobs.

 

My gripe on this statement is that we may not be maintaining a service but changing it ... and this has to be based around educational needs, not solely on cash. If you change a service without the right planning, resources, training and/or because of changes to the curriculum, and the results go down ... no matter how much money you save the school it would not save your job. I am not saying this is soley the responsibility of the IT Manager in a school (remembering we are also talking about primary schools and the various sizes and shapes they come in so may have none or lots of IT support / expertise) but this report does not do the case enough justice.

[GrumbleDook]

How exactly are Elgg and Mahara administration systems?

 

Mahara is a reflective E-portfolio and Elgg is a social networking tool.

 

Both can be linked in with assessment and monitoring, 2 key factors in administration and management of student information (eg progress, etc). Not exactly where I would stick them in teh grand scheme as they do overlap with the learning platform aspect of the model.

[PiqueABoo]

I want to scream.

 

There's plenty of unobjectionable stuff in there, but it's the bible quoting, the blithely ignored (inconvenient?) real costs, the hey they have a fifth of the computers compared to Secondary so lets just divide the numbers by five to get the Primary number!!!!!, and most of all the extrapolation to the entire UK. I wouldn't have minded at all but for the latter, could just dismiss it as some opaque local experiment from the wrong side of the Pennines, but if you asked me about it in real-life you'd get to hear some colourful expletives.

 

On my apparently very different planet, like most change, it would immediately incur additional cost not save 25% and it's very debatable how long it might take to recover those costs, assuming you ever do.

 

Point this stuff at typical Primarys, yes Primarys those SHAMEFULLY overlooked schools that do exist and do have their very own non-trivial requirements, that are as much a part of this austerity deal as any others here, and I reckon it would be a disaster. The most pragmatic game in their town right now is about NOT changing .. can you get another year or two's warranty for that single server and thus carry on with the entire stable/settled/understood system.. do you really need to upgrade some app to the latest version with a trivially rearranged GUI and bunch of new bugs.. can you still get XP drivers for the couple of dead boxes you will have to replace, or the one that won't run a realistic Linux any better than XP (has Linux been confused with a 1995 version, NanoBSD or something?)

 

PS: Is there something wrong with Office Live that's right about Google Docs?

Edited September 17, 2010 by PiqueABoo

[EdWhittaker]

To my mind, the move towards open source is more or less inevitable. I get around lots of schools in my job and I'm sensing an increasing dissatisfaction and frustration with the status quo. The stranglehold that a few major MIS providers have on the market is stifling innovation and inflating prices. Sooner or later someone is going to come up with a low cost, effective MIS with an OS API bundled with it. One of the biggest frustrations I come across is the inability of staff in school to interrogate their own MIS data because the provider does not permit access to the db. An open API would allow small providers, and indeed schools themselves, to construct a whole new range of bespoke tools for attendance, APP, behaviour or whatever. The effect of this would be to a) stimulate innovation b) reduce prices and c) improve the quality and effectiveness of software. I know there are OS MIS systems available at the moment, but really they don't come close to providing the functionality schools need.

[garrysaddington]

I know there are OS MIS systems available at the moment, but really they don't come close to providing the functionality schools need.

 

I think you may find that our Open Source MIS - ScholarPack, does in fact include the functionality that school's need, take a look at our website and demo. Schools that sign up with us get a ton of other things too.

[powdarrmonkey]

I think you may find that our Open Source MIS - ScholarPack, does in fact include the functionality that school's need, take a look at our website and demo. Schools that sign up with us get a ton of other things too.

 

It's not all open and libre though, is it?

[Nuttyprof]

Er Yes!

When I introduced a full Linux network install in my previous school, no training was either needed or given. The students took to it easily and the teachers did too. So don't start waiving the old training FUD about please.

 

Our experience also Gary

 

With regard to FOSS not being 'free', one normally finds that the cost element comes not from the software, but for ongoing support and development. Surely we can't expect anyone to provide schools with this for free!

 

My pet concern is that "it is always easier to stick with what we have" and that leads to dreadful lack on inertia and progress, especially with regard to trying new stuff. It's also why the largest companies providing software in our sector continue to become ever more powerful!

[garrysaddington]

It's not all open and libre though, is it?

 

The part that is open and libre will remain so because of the part that isn't, and that part is 'free as in beer' to schools anyway. So why the dig?

[EdWhittaker]

Hi Garry

Well done for having a go at an alternative MIS and doubly well done for making it OS. As I said in my earlier post, things can't go on as they are; something, somewhere has to give and you you're having a go at doing something about it, which is great. Problem is that these days, developing an MIS suitable for secondary schools involves a lot more than putting a front end on a database. How do you export existing data out of, say, SIMS into your system?

[garrysaddington]

Hi Garry

How do you export existing data out of, say, SIMS into your system?

 

For a start we can use a full Common Transfer File. For anything else we can do custom exports and mappings, depending on what the school needs to move. ScholarPack was initially developed as a full replacement for another commercial MIS in a secondary school. So I guess the real answer is that we do it the way any other (commercial) MIS would do it.

[GrumbleDook]

I have summarised my responses from this thread and other conversations over the last few days into the blog post below.

Happy reading.

Grumbledook Blogs » The Open Source Threat

[wesleyw]

I would ask them to stand up in front of a Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and justify themselves for all schools and educational settings.

Come on Tony I doubt anyone could do this for any single package available we all know that software usage and need is relative to the school/education body in question no two are completely alike.

 

Wes

[GrumbleDook]

Come on Tony I doubt anyone could do this for any single package available we all know that software usage and need is relative to the school/education body in question no two are completely alike.

 

Wes

 

There are only a few times when I would say full scrutiny is needed on the suitability and functionality of particular systems and software, but when it comes to safeguarding I will stand my ground. Some things are too open to mistakes being made and corners being cut. It happens.

 

If we could always trust people to look after their cars, ensure they are safe and so on ... then would we be able to justify the MOT process?

[wesleyw]

What were Beca Accredited Filters rated on? What were the criteria for selection/

 

Wes

[GrumbleDook]

What were Beca Accredited Filters rated on? What were the criteria for selection/

 

Wes

 

The full specification is pretty long and extensive, but I'll try and get a summary. Some of the information is not published in a public forum for security and safety reasons. Tom might actually be better placed to go through this ... needless to say that CEOP give it the nod , as do many other agencies.

[CyberNerd]

What were Beca Accredited Filters rated on? What were the criteria for selection/

 

Wes

 

more like the VLE accreditation probably - the company must have X million in the bank, thus excluding any OSS.

 

edit. where the company is accredited, not the software.

[GrumbleDook]

Oh no ... it is definitely the software which is accredited. It really is not an easy ride and takes considerable doing.

[GrumbleDook]

The accreditation summary can be found here, Becta Schools - Resources - Internet services - Web content filtering products and services requirements and the list of accredited providers here, Becta Schools - Resources - Internet services - Accredited internet services suppliers , details of exactly what testing takes place is not publicly available.

[GrumbleDook]

It is also worth pointing there is a kitemark for home filtering software and more details are available at PAS 74:2008: Internet safety - Next Generation Learning Edited September 23, 2010 by GrumbleDook
explaining the type of software.

[CyberNerd]

About the accreditation process

 

These products and services were requested as part of an Invitation to Submit issued to providers taking part in the accreditation. It should be noted that this accreditation was a voluntary process, and it does not imply that a provider not in this list does not meet the accreditation requirements.

 

The links don't prove that (eg) Dansguardian can't meet the criteria.

[GrumbleDook]

The lack of ability to make use of the IWF list alone eliminates Dansguardian. As Tom has mentioned elsewhere there is a cost associated with this for a variety of reasons ... and remember that there is a reason why Smoothwall exists rather than just be DansGuardian.

[CyberNerd]

The lack of ability to make use of the IWF list alone eliminates Dansguardian. As Tom has mentioned elsewhere there is a cost associated with this for a variety of reasons ... and remember that there is a reason why Smoothwall exists rather than just be DansGuardian.

 

Why can't it use the IWF list? it can use: URLBlacklist.com (which I assumed already contained the IWF list). I understand IWF may not want to give out the list to anyone, but most of this stuff is blocked by ISP's anyway. It sounds like a political reason rather than a technical. edit: I already use dansguargian at one site, smoothwall at main site.

[wesleyw]

If it can't use an extensive list like the IWF then I have to admit Tony dansguardian isn't able to be compared like for like. If it pases all other criteria though and it can use a list as suggested by CyberNerd then this would be different. I wonder how much it costs to link in with the IWF listing services?

 

 

Wes

[GrumbleDook]

As far as I am aware URLBlacklist does not include the IWF list, does not meet the requirements for the timescales on support response or to change an entry. Putting it in the simplest terms ... if URLBlacklist goes down or is corrupted then there is no guarantee that stuff which should be blocked *will* be blocked, nor any idea about fix time.