farhanajahan: Interview with Richard Stallman: education must transcend facts and ...

Richard Matthew Stallman recently visited Mexico City, for a few minutes on their way to the Universidad Iberoamericana could interview him about the intersection between free software and education. While the Free Software Foundation explains the subject in depth, I have gathered here your opinion on five essential elements of contemporary formal education: schools, teachers, researchers, parents and students, from basic education to the publishing process scientific articles.
Stallman is a bright, opinionated difficult to refute with him so well formed over the years, however, often seems an inflexible man, an orthodox hopeless. In my opinion his ideas, both digital rights and education, are more relevant than ever, and will be most appreciated by generations to come, in times when the right to read virtually has disappeared because we learned to go beyond facts and methods education.
ALT1040: Why is it important to use free software in school?
Richard Stallman: First you have to know what free software means. With software there are two possibilities: either the users are in control of the program or the program has control of the users. The first case is called free software [... In the second case] the owner has control of the program, and through it undergoes users, then a non-free program is a yoke, is unfair and should not exist.
The goal of the free software movement is that all programs are free for all its users are free.
So [...] a school of any level from kindergarten through college, why should teach only free software?
First because it has the social mission of educating good citizens of a society capable, strong, independent, fair and free [...] Teach a proprietary program is to introduce dependence on a specific entity. [This applies] to any educational activity. The proprietary program is the enemy of the spirit of education, therefore should not be tolerated in a school. Never.
[Second] is for moral education in citizenship. The school must go beyond teaching facts and methods. You must also teach the spirit of goodwill. That is, the habit of helping others [...] If you bring a program to the class, you must share copies with all [...] because the class is to share knowledge.
ALT1040: The same should happen with all that produce educational institutions ?
RMS: The educational works must be free. The same argument applies.
A work of education [is to] learn or teach [...] Who do [that] deserve practical work [have] the [...] This includes software programs, but also works of reference and educational works.
The mission of the education community is to develop free works for teaching to replace proprietary works.
ALT1040: What you give technical advice to schools to migrate to free software?
RMS: It is easy in most cases, but depends on the details. [For example], install LibreOffice, then users have to learn it, and in a few months may cease to use a proprietary program and can be deleted.
In other cases it is more difficult. Is any work or have any cost. But freedom is worth some sacrifices. Follow the social mission of the school is worth any cost. So it takes something no excuse for not migrate [...] There will be resistance: resistance will be defeated.
ALT1040: How control of your computer makes you a better student?
RMS: It is much more important than being a better student: to live in freedom.
In one aspect, yes [is true], able to read and understand the programs you use is the way to learn the computer. How do you learn to write good code? With read and write a lot of code much code. And free software only offers the opportunity to read large programs that are actually used and after that write changes [...] small changes first, then bigger changes [...] And how can you learn to do it without the opportunity to try? It is also useful to learn other things about your field of study [...] The program should not be a mystery.
RMS: In many regions of Spain, mainly Extremadura and Andalusia public schools have migrated to free software, years ago. And it worked well.
ALT1040: In Mexico we use the subject "Civics" to form good citizens from basic education. But forget also form good citizens from technology.
RMS: I guess this issue began before the widespread use of computers. So is what I do: introduce the subject matter of freedom and an ethical society in computing.
ALT1040: I think in Mexico we are far behind in computer education, where children basically learn on their own, without adequate guides ?
RMS: They are guided to use Windows often, [it] is harmful to society.
ALT1040: From the point of view of a parent, how to guide their children in this regard?
RMS: Obviously, you have to teach them to use and share free software programs. Sharing is good. But not only the programs: being a good member of the community is also sharing the music and books.
ALT1040: Speaking of science generated from the universities, what advice would you give to investigators?
RMS: There are journals that publish free articles. But it is also important to reject the review [arbitration] of free journal articles [...]
But universities can require publication free of all items that your employees and teachers write [...] It has to be a policy without exception, because allowing exceptions is weak. We have the possibility of ending custodial publishers, but if we give in to their desires not just with them. State agencies also fund research that can make these conditions.