According to RT Education Ministry Department for Informational Technologies in Education head, open sources development hasn’t been completed yet.

(Kazan, March 5, Tatar-inform, Kristina Ivanova). Tatarstan schools might refuse switching to open code based open sources based on “Linux” software, despite the fact that Microsoft software basic package license expires in 2010. Head of the Department of Informational Technologies in Education at Tatarstan Ministry of Education and Science Nadezhda Sulimova told Tatar-inform about it in an interview.

In 2008, Tatarstan was included in three pilot Russian regions (along with Tomsk Region and Perm Territory) where the project “Approbation and implementation of open code informational systems based on Linux software in educational institutions” is realized. The project realization began in the whole country last year. It is explained by the fact that subscription for Microsoft software basic package for schools expires in 2010. Quite a large sum of money must be paid in order to prolong the subscription. Another option is switching to Russian product Linux.

Nadezhda Sulimova informed that according to Tatarstan Government agreement with the Federal Agency for Education sa so-called “testing zone” must be created in each republican school. “It means there must be at least Linux-installed computer and a trained teacher who would be able to work with this system at school,” N. Sulimova explained. Head of Tatarstan Education and Science Ministry department informed over 1400 Tatarstan schools had installed Linux software on computers.

“If open source software won’t have been developed until the end of 2010 Windows license will have to be prolonged,” she informed.

*Sh