Google Workspace for Education alternatives
February 11, 2025 6:35 PM Subscribe
What alternatives are available for use in a school setting? Sharing of educational materials for teachers and students a priority. Email would also be useful. And an alternative to Google Classroom (although I understand this is a big ask as Classroom is a leader in this field).
I've used and administrated Google Workspace extensively in a previous school. At the school I've just joined, staff are using a hodgepodge of private Google accounts, which is unsurprisingly suboptimal. I've proposed using Google Workspace.
However there are a few issues going this route. Firstly, there is a chance our school might not qualify for a free Education licence (we are an art centre servicing surrounding schools). We're a small school and can't afford the full fee. Qualification might not be an issue, however with my increasing concerns with Google's problematic stance on diversity etc, and its growth as a rapacious monopoly, I'm wondering if there are any other viable cheap or free alternatives.
Our Education dept is currently providing free access to MSTeams, however we are avoiding going down this route as the rollout has so far been problematic with chaotic administration of licences (also my concerns with Microsoft monopoly etc).
An alternative would need to:
- allow multiple ownership of folders/storage locations
- allow controlled access to certain locations by students
- be relatively non technical to implement and maintain (I don't want it to fall into disarray if I leave the school).
Secondary needs:
- accessing email (we have a registered domain)
- ability to message
Tertiary needs:
- teaching tools of some kind
Any alternative suggestions, even with basic functionality, would be appreciated!
I've used and administrated Google Workspace extensively in a previous school. At the school I've just joined, staff are using a hodgepodge of private Google accounts, which is unsurprisingly suboptimal. I've proposed using Google Workspace.
However there are a few issues going this route. Firstly, there is a chance our school might not qualify for a free Education licence (we are an art centre servicing surrounding schools). We're a small school and can't afford the full fee. Qualification might not be an issue, however with my increasing concerns with Google's problematic stance on diversity etc, and its growth as a rapacious monopoly, I'm wondering if there are any other viable cheap or free alternatives.
Our Education dept is currently providing free access to MSTeams, however we are avoiding going down this route as the rollout has so far been problematic with chaotic administration of licences (also my concerns with Microsoft monopoly etc).
An alternative would need to:
- allow multiple ownership of folders/storage locations
- allow controlled access to certain locations by students
- be relatively non technical to implement and maintain (I don't want it to fall into disarray if I leave the school).
Secondary needs:
- accessing email (we have a registered domain)
- ability to message
Tertiary needs:
- teaching tools of some kind
Any alternative suggestions, even with basic functionality, would be appreciated!
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There are free alternatives to MS Office/Google Suite, notably LibreOffice or SoftMaker. If you need a Learning Management System (examples include Canvas, Blackboard, Schoology, Moodle, Open LMS etc.) Edmodo can do some LMS things. Moodle is clunkier but free, Canvas is free as open source software but if you want someone to host it for you it costs money.
Or do you just need a document management system? That's a whole different thing.
I don't know of one offhand that does everything together as well/easily as Google unfortunately.
posted by Wretch729 at 9:54 AM on February 12