FSFE signs Dutch manifesto calling for education improvements

Students should not have to use proprietary software to participate in the educational process. The FSFE joins the Dutch coalition ‘Fair Digital Education’ supporting privacy-respecting solutions involving Free Software in schools.

For parents it’s becoming increasingly confronting to see the results of the educational vendor lock-in and governmental policies keeping it into place; the younger generation will be struggling with this burden and they will be faced to fight hard regaining a privacy respecting conditions for their future learning and working environments - if all possible at all.

Personally I’m really feeling uncomfortable, even guilty for having enabled our own generation of decision makers and career-hungry people to create, set in place and persist in their efforts to poisoning the educational system for generations to come.

Hopefully this initiative will be a justifyable first step to start a revolution. When looking at the current situation every single organisation in the sector should already be aware this is not the way to go forward. They are being offered a way out here and should be aware that collective support is needed for this, which would include their utmost effort and the government to embrace this initiative in full. The petition should generate momentum for this unique initiative to realise just that and getting the public debate proppeled.
Thanks to FSFE for being part of this as first assignee and their commitment to fair education.

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Indeed Edwin I also think this problem is systemic now that organisational structures and business models have cemented privacy invasive behavior.

That is indeed the motivation for those involved: to set a norm that will change existing practices.

If you are interested to join the conversation or help us out, feel free to join the Matrix group #CEDO:matrix.org

Unfortunately the number of signers to the petition has halted, hopefully that is just temporary. I can’t imagine the worries regarding aforementioned invasive behaviour does not seem to concern parents, schools and many other stakeholders nor that the appeal the coalition was not clear or comprehensive enough for them to sign for it. Any ideas as to what makes people reluctant in doing so?

On a positive sidenote, recently some of the supporting organizations have been openly discussing the CEDO in an even wider perspective, for example Privacy First.

If I’m not mistaken I was there before you submitted and did my very best to put this issue out in the open (still am and will be) :smile: