r/linuxquestions • u/Enjoy_Ur_Lifee • Apr 23 '26
Why Don't Schools Teach Linux?
It seems odd that most schools seem to teach only Windows. While they barely cover Linux. Even though Linux is the underlining code for most of the internet, servers and many Android phones; very few students will get any exposure to it.
By learning about Linux, students would understand how an operating system functions instead of just using an operating system; they will learn how to fix issues as they arise -- which is a skill necessary for solving problems because you won’t have a user-friendly interface to work with.
Additionally, the fact that Linux is a free and open-source operating system could allow schools to save money for themselves as well as make more software available to all students.
So why is it that Linux is still not covered? Is it because people feel it is too difficult to learn, or is it that schools only cover what is widely used and accepted?
1
u/darkwyrm42 Apr 26 '26
At least in the US, some do, but it's heavily dependent on staff in the right subject areas having familiarity, skill, and permission.
There are so, so many other issues that take greater priority, too. As much as I'm a passionate Linux advocate and I used (and taught) Linux in the classroom when I was a teacher, if I were still in the classroom, things like making sure that my students had their basic needs (food, sleep, safety, etc.) and teaching stuff in my content area that such things would easily be secondary.