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Letter to the Secretary of Education, Government of Gujarat
To The Education Secretary
Government of Gujarat
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Sub - Adoption of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the ICT in school education program
Dear Sir,
We have read in the media about the ambitious and pioneering program of the Government of Gujarat for ICTs in school education. ICTs are very powerful tools and depending on the design of the programs, they could have significant positive or negative impact on learning.
We would like to submit that the education system needs to adopt and promote Free and Open Source Software(FOSS) for pedagogical, economic, social and political reasons. Free software is software which gives the users the freedom to use, study, modify and share. These freedoms provide users and the rest of society with several important advantages. With proprietary software, students only learn be superficial 'users'. This is because, proprietary software companies prevent access to the “source code” that goes into the creation of software. With FOSS, students can learn not only how to use software, but also how create and modify the software applications. Hence with FOSS, students will not just be passive users but will actually construct knowledge. This allows the creation of local language versions of the software. For example, Kerala has locally created software in Malayalam for its IT@School program.
In developing countries like India, there is really no reason to spend public money on proprietary software when equivalent free software is available without any cost. When FOSS is used, local software enterprises and entrepreneurs can provide support, training, customization, integration services etc, which means that money paid for such services remains in the local economy and also local IT capabilities are developed.
Keeping the above advantages in mind, the National Knowledge commission and the Planning Commission have both recommended that governments should encourage and adopt open source widely.
Governments by their very reach and mandate, have a key role in setting public standards. By the very act of adopting free and open technologies, the Government supports setting up of open standards, which is critical for the public good. By this, governments will be encouraging the use of FOSS. Use of FOSS at such a huge scale will help create a FOSS eco-system, which has enormous benefits to society at large, apart from all its direct benefits for the adopting government agencies.
One argument for preferring proprietary software is supposedly the easier availability of support for such platforms. However, several states and countries have successfully created or in the process of creating suitable 'eco-system' that support free software. We would like to submit that civil Society organisations in Gujarat and across the country, some of who are signatories to this letter, are keen and willing to support the government in this effort.
We hope our submission will be considered by the education department as well as by the government of Gujarat and we look forward to working with you to help bring these ideals into reality.
Yours truly
signatories to the letter
January 27th 2009.
enclosed – Note on “A note on why Government of Gujarat should adopt and promote Free Software”
Government of Gujarat
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Sub - Adoption of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the ICT in school education program
Dear Sir,
We have read in the media about the ambitious and pioneering program of the Government of Gujarat for ICTs in school education. ICTs are very powerful tools and depending on the design of the programs, they could have significant positive or negative impact on learning.
We would like to submit that the education system needs to adopt and promote Free and Open Source Software(FOSS) for pedagogical, economic, social and political reasons. Free software is software which gives the users the freedom to use, study, modify and share. These freedoms provide users and the rest of society with several important advantages. With proprietary software, students only learn be superficial 'users'. This is because, proprietary software companies prevent access to the “source code” that goes into the creation of software. With FOSS, students can learn not only how to use software, but also how create and modify the software applications. Hence with FOSS, students will not just be passive users but will actually construct knowledge. This allows the creation of local language versions of the software. For example, Kerala has locally created software in Malayalam for its IT@School program.
In developing countries like India, there is really no reason to spend public money on proprietary software when equivalent free software is available without any cost. When FOSS is used, local software enterprises and entrepreneurs can provide support, training, customization, integration services etc, which means that money paid for such services remains in the local economy and also local IT capabilities are developed.
Keeping the above advantages in mind, the National Knowledge commission and the Planning Commission have both recommended that governments should encourage and adopt open source widely.
Governments by their very reach and mandate, have a key role in setting public standards. By the very act of adopting free and open technologies, the Government supports setting up of open standards, which is critical for the public good. By this, governments will be encouraging the use of FOSS. Use of FOSS at such a huge scale will help create a FOSS eco-system, which has enormous benefits to society at large, apart from all its direct benefits for the adopting government agencies.
One argument for preferring proprietary software is supposedly the easier availability of support for such platforms. However, several states and countries have successfully created or in the process of creating suitable 'eco-system' that support free software. We would like to submit that civil Society organisations in Gujarat and across the country, some of who are signatories to this letter, are keen and willing to support the government in this effort.
We hope our submission will be considered by the education department as well as by the government of Gujarat and we look forward to working with you to help bring these ideals into reality.
Yours truly
signatories to the letter
January 27th 2009.
enclosed – Note on “A note on why Government of Gujarat should adopt and promote Free Software”