In “austerity Britain” schools are faced with a rather large challenge: how do they continue to provide a good ICT service, for teachers, administrators and, above all, pupils? One possible solution is open source software, and whilst I do not subscribe to the Shangri La-like vision of some of its exponents, I do think it’s an option that demands to be explored and considered carefully.

Therefore, I would support this conference on the grounds that schools need to find ways of saving money without compromising what they can offer, and open source offers strong possibilities in this respect.

The conference takes place in London on 5th April and has some strong speakers – you can see the draft programme and the list of confirmed speakers on the Conference website.  Anne Matthews, an Open Source Schools member, tells me that they are looking to identify schools in each region which will be open source hub schools, and that part of the aim of the conference is to test this idea out. She has also informed me about videos which explain a little more of the background and context of the conference. They are:

• The Open Source School’s seminar at BETT
• Extracts from Paul Haigh’s presentation at BETT and
• A longer version of Paul’s presentation.

Take a look at this conference: it may turn out to be a good investment of time and money.