We call on school administrators at all levels to drop requirements for students to use proprietary software to participate in a course, and to adopt a free software replacement for every nonfree program being used. As students, teachers, parents, and concerned citizens, we stand together for the following principles:
* It is an injustice to require students to sacrifice their freedom to proprietary software in pursuit of an education.
* Using free software in the classroom communicates the importance of values key to a free society: sharing, social responsibility, and independence.
* With its focus on study and collaboration, free software is far more suited to the spirit of pedagogy than the dependence and abuse caused by proprietary software.
* It is an injustice to require students to sacrifice their freedom to proprietary software in pursuit of an education.
* Using free software in the classroom communicates the importance of values key to a free society: sharing, social responsibility, and independence.
* With its focus on study and collaboration, free software is far more suited to the spirit of pedagogy than the dependence and abuse caused by proprietary software.