As we've recently written, learning remotely does not have to
(and shouldn't have to) mean forsaking basic freedoms. New
developments in the remote education landscape have only contributed
to the worrying trend of treating the school as a testing ground for
ubiquitous surveillance and other dystopian practices. This is
especially dangerous for digitally native children, who may be unaware
that there are alternatives, let alone that the perceived
"alternative" is in actuality the only ethical option.
As discussion among free software activists on our
libreplanet-discuss mailing list has shown in recent weeks,
digital education can thrive when we make freedom a priority. No
student should have to trade their freedom for an education. The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) has already worked together with an MIT
professor to free his classes, and we have been sharing our knowledge
with the Boston public school system as well. Now, we're taking the next
step in that commitment.
Beginning today, we are working to change the remote education
landscape with a new petition targeting the serious harm proprietary
software poses to students, and at the same time, emphasizing the idea
that there is an ethical solution. Whether it's Microsoft Teams
being used to connect students to each other, Google Classroom being
used to write every document, or Zoom being used for the
classroom session itself, we want to get the message across that the
only acceptable answer when it comes to how much proprietary software
should be permitted in schools is none. Making students depend on
nonfree software to learn is not only harmful to them in the
short-term, but it is a failed opportunity to impart the values of
free access, studying, sharing, and collaboration.
At the FSF, we are working hard to make free software a kitchen table
issue: one that's spoken about and taken seriously by people from all
walks of life, and is not just a cause taken up by a small but
impassioned community. We understand that speaking up for yourself
about these issues can be difficult, which is why we're offering to
put our voice behind yours as the leading organization in the
movement. When signing the petition, you have the option to let
us know if you're a student, parent, teacher, or administrator of a
school that requires the use of proprietary software. We'll get in
touch with their administration on your behalf, and let them know that
a global community of activists and everyday people alike have signed
a statement in support of free software in education.
This initiative and petition were motivated by the loss of student
rights caused by the pandemic, but we don't plan to call it quits when
the novel coronavirus is finally under control. We envision this
statement having a permanent place on https://fsf.org, and we are
committed to getting in touch with as many schools as we can as part
of our efforts to encourage free software adoption.
Your standing together with us on this issue means the world to us.
The success of any petition is only as strong as its messaging and the
people who rally behind it, which is why we deeply appreciate you
taking the time to sign. Signing this statement of principles is one
way we're offering you to help put "freedom in action" during our
summer appeal, and to be a voice for #UserFreedom around the
world.
For thirty-five years, the FSF has been campaigning for complete
software freedom. In all that time, and though it would have been
convenient and popular to do so, we've never compromised our
principles. Being the "last lighthouse" of user freedom means
keeping a vigilant eye on the state of how computer software is being
used to help or harm those who depend on it. Please take a moment to
sign the petition to stand up for the rights of students
everywhere, whether those rights are your own, your child's, or simply
those of someone you know. Together, we can sever the connection
education has to proprietary software, and nurture freedom instead.
