KITE GNU/Linux 20.04 - Kerala model of open source education

The Kerala State of India has done excellent work by implementing computer learning with open-source applications. The government body of Kerla started the migration into open-source technologies in early 2006. The migration includes the use of ORUMA - billing and payment software for the state electricity board, free software migration in the Khadi Board, and free software for IT operations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

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Open Source in Education

Kerala government’s education curriculum includes computer education from the primary school itself. From the beginning, the students are encouraged to use open-source applications. Also, the curriculum teaches the use of open-source software for performing day-to-day activities such as painting, listening to music, watching movies, browsing the internet, preparing office documents, etc. Also, python is part of the curriculum in the 10th standard. Students will be making their utility applications on Python in the 10th standard. The inclusion of Python will help them to identify their taste in programming from the early stages.

The evolution of KITE GNU/Linux

In the mid-2000s, the government came up with the idea of developing a custom GNU/Linux distribution for educational institutions. This concept became a reality in 2006 when the first version of IT@School GNU/Linux was released. The first version of IT@School GNU/Linux was based on Debian and included a set of applications for education. The first release of IT@School Linux was in collaboration with a private agency. Later, the IT@School wing of the Kerala Education Department took control of this. The project is now popularly known as KITE GNU/Linux. KITE stands for Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education. KITE is a government-run organization in Kerala, India, that is the successor to the IT@School Project. Established to modernize education, KITE focuses on integrating technology into schools.

In 2008, the first batch completed their 10th standard IT practical public exam in GNU/Linux.

Later, there were multiple releases of IT@School with the Ubuntu LTS base. The latest one in this series is KITE GNU/Linux 20.04. Also, there is one LITE edition for computers with limited resources.

Download KITE GNU/Linux 20.04 ISO

For environments with limited resources, consider the KITE Linux Lite distribution. This lightweight option ensures smooth operation on older or less powerful hardware. Download KITE GNU/Linux LITE 2020 ISO