Talk Beginner

FOSS in Australian Schools

Withdrawn

Session Description

The presentation informs participants on the progress of my PhD Implementing the Kerala FOSS strategy in ACT Schools.

The research project investigates the world first implementation of free and open source software in the state of Kerala, India that began in 2002 and its potential to drive, and maybe replace, other education systems, most notably the Australian Capital Territory in Australia.

While the ACT Government is actively working to improve education, there are no examples on how FOSS contributes to these improvements. There are references within school policies that explicitly declare FOSS as unsupported.

Key Takeaways

Why is the Kerala example yet to gain traction across Bharat?

What lessons can Australia learn from Kerala if it hopes to implement FOSS in the ACT and the rest of the education systems?

Why is Australia claiming to support contemporary education measures while continuing to support unsustainable proprietary systems?

What is the pathway to implementing FOSS given the recalcitrant nature of Australian education?

References

https://kite.kerala.gov.in/KITE/index.php

https://codingaustralia.com/index.html

Session Categories

Introducing a FOSS project or a new version of a popular project

Which track are you applying for?

Main track

Speakers

Keith Wilson Student/Retiree | Coding Australia

I have a strong background as a school teacher with an emphasis on integrating information technology in education. I have implemented open source activities in schools across various social demographics and learning capabilities. I am proficient in the Linux operating system, Scratch, MBlock and Snap block coding and programming languages such as HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and Python.

I have been a devotee of FOSS for over 20 years and presented at a Linux Foundation Open Source Summit in Los Angeles in 2017. Most recently I traveled to India to present at the KDE 2025 Conference at Dhirubhai Ambani University in Gandhinagar.

My PhD is a work in progress and will be updated if I am selected to present at India FOSS 2025.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-wilson-77871522/