Free and Open Source Software in the secondary education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Significant benefits, like an IT cost savings, security, customability, knowledge sharing, can be achieved through the introduction and use of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) in high schools. By using FLOSS, level of students' innovation, computer literacy, knowledge and creativity could be increased. That benefit could be important for developing countries as a chance for strengthen local IT industry. This paper shows differences regarding FLOSS and proprietary source software treatment in a computer science classroom in high schools with curriculum in Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In this paper survey of computer course teachers' interest and their knowledge regarding use of free and open source software was conducted by on-line questionnaire. The FLOSS presence regarding operating systems and office package at computer classrooms was also explored. An additional analysis of curriculum in secondary education in schools with curriculum in Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina was performed.