ABSTRACT:
Despite the contributions of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the development of education sector, schools are still more in need of quality software solutions to lessen the act of teaching, especially in public schools that have limited financial resources. However due to financial limitations, the ICT needs are inadequately met. Open Source Software (OSS) is recently gaining spotlight as a result of its primary characteristics: - The attendant freedom and ease of donation without the conditional licenses that characterize proprietary software. The aim of this study is to explore the level to which open source software development can aid computer education at various public institutions specializing in the various applications used to improve students’ computer education and computer skills. In addition, the paper examines the main hiccups against the use of OSS in our public institutions and identifies the rise in the cost of computer parts and software; poor infrastructure; inadequacy of human skills and knowledge, and insufficient suitable software appropriate and culturally suitable to Nigeria as the prime block to the acceptance of OSS in our institutions.
Keywords:
computing education, emerging economies, open source, technology
