Ubuntu and Education

"For education, free software makes it possible to teach everything using computer tools: art, science, math, computer science, music, you name it."
Mark Shuttleworth, Founder of Ubuntu

Ubuntu is able to put cutting edge computing technology into schools and education facilities around the globe. Here you can learn how Ubuntu will help your institution save money and provide a solid information foundation for your students.

Free Software – Tailored to Education

Used in homes, schools and businesses by over 8 million people globally, Ubuntu is one of the world’s most popular versions of Linux. Ubuntu Education Edition is custom-designed to help students get the very best educational experience. And, because it is free, there are no licensing costs or restrictions placed on the learner, the school or administrators.

You get access to world class software for desktops and servers, with a choice of various editions which can be used in the Classroom, School Administration, and the education department.

The Ubuntu LiveCD makes it easy for pupils to boot their home computers temporarily into Ubuntu and use exactly the same applications that they are using at school. The LTSP server software allows teachers and administrators to create a low cost computer lab so that students can have access to the educational opportunities that Ubuntu and the Internet can provide.

Ease of Use - Built for Human Beings

Above all, Ubuntu is set apart from other operating systems by its unwavering focus on simplicity and ease of use. Ubuntu's motto is "Linux for Human Beings" and every development decision and application has that goal in mind.

The result of this focus means that Ubuntu is easy to learn for both Educators and Learners. No steep learning curve for beginners and, no re-training costs for users familiar with other windows based desktop environments. The goal of the Education Programme is to: "Enable Educators to spend more time teaching, and less time managing the computers or network". Let your educators spend more productive time engaging their learners.

Ubuntu's accessibility features strive to provide a pleasant, high-quality computing experience to disabled users.

Bundled Applications - Education Productivity & Creativity

A broad range of free software applications is immediately available on install - with the usual every-day productivity tools, education applications, learning based games that teach basic skills, as well as creativity applications to stimulate and entertain.

• Education suite Gcompris - Over 80 learning games and skill building activities for children aged 4 to 10
• Tux Paint - An easy-to-use drawing program
• Tux Math - An arcade style maths game
• KPercentage - A program to help learn and calculate percentages
• Kalzium - An application enabling students to explore the Periodic Table
• Full Multimedia Software - Applications for playing music and movies
• Advanced Imaging Software - Applications for viewing and creating 2D and 3D graphics
• Productivity - A complete office suite
• Internet - Web browser, email and instant messaging

More detail on available applications can be found on the Introduction to Software page.

Software Repositories - Vast library of Free Software

A host of additional free software is a few clicks away and simple to install directly from our central repositories. Our user-friendly add/remove tool lets you browse through various categories of applications, and search by program name or description. All applications are tried & tested to run on our platform, and automated maintenance and security patches are distributed and pushed directly to your user desktop. You'll get a notification prompt, you can review and accept and your system and desktop are updated! This relieves you of the need to record and re-visit software websites - we liaise directly with the application developers, and centralise the housekeeping on behalf of all of our users.

Across the Globe - Languages and Localisations

Ubuntu comes with translations for many languages and localization features that allow people from all over the world to enjoy their computing experience.

Our users and support communities are scattered all over the world - Ubuntu literally spans the globe. More likely than not you'll be able to find support in your own country, your own time zone and in your own language, both from peers, and commercial vendors.

Compatible - Application and File Sharing

Many educational computer environments make use of more than one operating system, and it is sometimes difficult to share documents between users. Ubuntu plays well with others.

You can work on the same files from any flavour of desktop connected to your network. OpenOffice.org can open and save the same file formats as other office suites; the creativity tools make use of standard formats shared amongst the same types of application.