You’ve read all the articles before about how rough things have gotten in the U.S. educational system. Cutbacks, layoffs and public requests for tax increases that have frequently been denied.
The idea of finding new ways to save a buck aren’t new. It’s just that most people working in K-12 aren’t generally looking in the direction of their technology options, particularly their productivity software.
And why would some of them? Microsoft Office is the safe option. It’s the same package that most school employees use at home, so why would there be a need to change things up?
However, as companies, as well as public entities such as city and state government, are looking at open source software, particularly OpenOffice.org, as a cost-cutting measure, so, too, should school systems. And not just for its employees.
For years, we’ve been hearing about the idea of getting students access to computers, to the point where there have been calls to put give each student a laptop.
But with a Windows-based machine and proprietary software, is it financially feasible? Of course not.
Realistically, exposing schoolchildren to other technology such as open-source software like OOo could do more than save school systems money. It can provide a window that could be key to bridging the technological divide that currently exists in the U.S.
Browsing the blogosphere, there is a growing call from educators to make this change. Despite currently being outside of the K-12 realm, I also join in this call. With OOo updates that make the package increasingly comparable to MS Office, the time is approaching where the only difference between the two will be cost.
And I think we all know who wins that battle.
Every Wednesday, the TOG Blog presents a topic related to OpenOffice.org. If you’d like to hear about a particular issue or have a question you’d like answered in an upcoming article, feel free to e-mail OpenOfficeGuy@togsolutions.com or follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OpenOfficeGuy.
