[Year 12 Its] Re: [Yr11 InformationTechnology]ProgrammingAwards2006: PD Registrations

[Tony Forster]

>    3. What industry and tertiary education uptake is there for Microsoft 
> and non Microsoft software ? If 95% of industry uses Microsoft products, 
> schools and DET would be negligent in not exposing students to this 
> community mainstream would they not ?

A valid point, but there is a side issue. Not all learning takes place at 
school. It should continue at home. It should be part of a wider engagement 
with family and the community. Using proprietary software as the main school 
software for many students means that they cannot legally work at home. They 
either don't bring work home or they install pirate software at home. Free 
or Free Open Source Software has an important place in education alongside 
proprietary software.