Linux Taking Over Schools in India

slashchris84 writes to mention a BusinessWeek article about the growing role of Linux in the classrooms of India. In a country with a long history of corporate problems and financial issues, the inexpensive and flexible nature of open source software is gaining a lot of ground. From the article: "Two years ago, New Delhi said the best way to improve computer literacy in India was to adopt open source software in schools. Although Kerala is the first to introduce such a program statewide, 18 of India's 28 states either are using Linux or have pilot projects for its use in various government departments and schools. The education ministries in most states, and in Delhi the federal ministries of defense, transport, communication, and health, are all using the software on server computers"

Tempered Enthusiasm

[ackthpt]

from the penguins-in-strange-places dept.

Hey, Zonk, what's strange about Linux in education and government? Or is it India you find strange? New to the adoption of Linux by India topic are you?

The education ministries in most states, and in Delhi the federal ministries of defense, transport, communication, and health, are all using the software on server computers"

Also worth pointing out that this statement says "are all using the software on server computers", but doesn't say "all servers are using the software."

So it's like, "I see a tip of an ice berg, but I don't know how big it really is."

With 4,000 students and just 21 computers, the Cotton Hill Girls High School...
The school is one of 2,600 in the state of Kerala making the shift. That means each of the state's 1.5 million high school students will grow accustomed to working not in the Windows environment familiar to computer users worldwide, but in Linux.

So that's, what? (21/4100) * 1,500,000 ~= 7,682 computers?

Not like it's going to make Microsoft sweat, but the comment from a student "Windows, never heard of it" might.

It sounds good, but it's not like Microsoft is going to suffer a lot for this.

Re:It's not just India...

[joe 155]

I must say I'd love that to be true - But I fear it isn't. I posted on my university blog criticising the University about pretty much only using MS software and only offering support/education for people in MS products. I got verious replies (including one from a woman about how women don't know how to use computers and aren't capable of learning, and linux is too hard) but the one which stuck out most was a couple from IT staff, one claimed that Free Software wouldn't be cheaper to use because they would need to change their procedures and way of running (which would have a cost) and MS sells them pretty cheap licences... I fear that they'll be able to use their monopoly to keep themselves as a de facto standard so people only know that.

The second reply was saying that they couldn't roll out updates through out the network with free software in the same way that they could MS and they couldn't control it with the same level of precision that they could with MS products... I didn't get why (and suspected that it was untrue) but because I've never been a sys admin I guess I had to defer to their knowledge. If this is untrue I'm worried because they've started to believe MS's propaganda, if it's true I'm worried that open source is missing something

The Strange Place is Businessweek.

[twitter]

Hey, Zonk, what's strange about Linux in education and government? Or is it India you find strange? New to the adoption of Linux by India topic are you?

Ah, such a beautiful troll. It accuses Zonk of racism and implicitly calls Linux second rate. Best of all, it's completely wrong. Oh, but there's more, a defense of the Mighty Morphing M$ Monopoly. It could only be better by invoking religion, BSD and abortion.

it's going to make Microsoft sweat, but the comment from a student "Windows, never heard of it" might. It sounds good, but it's not like Microsoft is going to suffer a lot for this.

It sounds good and it is good. M$ is going to lose mind share because they can't both make a profit and "give away" software everwhere it's too expensive. They don't have the man power to decide, much less do the install. They can dangle a few machines in a few prominent places, but the needs and demands far exceed their ability to control it all. People are going keep installing free software and using it. The advantages are obvious and show, especially next to the crippled versions they insultingly have created for those who can't afford US prices. All of India is going to enter the information age and they are going to do it without the price, complexity and insult that non free software has to offer.

The only thing strange about this article is that BusinessWeek noticed it. What's not strange is that they rattle off a bunch of M$ FUD about "service trouble" and "it's all on the server" to conclude, "Linux will be knocking Windows off the desktop anytime soon." BusinessWeek is slowly understanding free software, but they are not ready for publication yet.

IDC says 21% annual revenue growth through 2010

[Locutus]

That means it'll cost businesses( in 2010 ) $19.9 Million for Linux. They also say that businesses, etc already pay $200 Million annually for Microsoft Windows software but leave 2010 number out.

No wonder Indian schools are looking to Linux, they'll save huge sums of money this way and at the same time, be building a workforce capable of supporting this shift.

Who knows, in 2010, we may be seeing only IDC numbers on revenue from services around Linux and OSS.

It sure seems strange that these kinds of numbers always seem to be equated with how much money Microsoft makes or how big their market is when infact, it's all about how much it's costing businesses. After all, they are not talking about services and are all about software sales.

When US companies 'see the light' and realize these numbers are leaving THEIR pockets, they might be willing to look toward Linux on the desktop too.

LoB

Re:Don't get too excited... QWZX

[humphrm]

There is another angle, though. Maybe you dismiss it, but to some India is one of the hottest technical development centers in the world. And this is a country that highly values education and generally does a better job of providing it to even it's poorest constituents than the "Developed Countries". Having just returned from Hyderabad, I witnessed kids crawling out of what could only be described by a Westerner as a mud hut, with a sparkling clean and pressed school uniform on, ready to go to school. In America, these kids would probably not qualify for most public schools because they don't have an address.

Then, they go on to higher education... and guess what schools are being built fast in India? Technical schools. Lots of them.

My point is, your "backwater" country is doing a better job of educating it's masses than most western countries, and the tools that these kids learn today will shape technology tomorrow.