Initially known as the Open Source Learning Centre during the pilot phase in 2001 and 2002, the aim of the project was test the feasibility of using open source software within primary schools. The pilot project was initiated in 2 schools in Cape Town in South Africa, Nooitgedacht and Hydepark Primary Schools. The project was co-funded by the schools, the Shuttleworth Foundation and Hilton Theunissen.

Based on the learnings and its early success indicators, the Shuttleworth Foundation decided to incorporate the program into its open source mandate. It was decided to formulate a partnership with a number of schools in South Africa to develop a model that will showcase open source technologies as well as build a easy replicable methodology. A new name was adopted for the project, tuXlabs - with "tuX" referring to the mascot for the Linux operating system, the capital "X" was used to express its potential and "lab" referring to a computer room also known as PC lab or IT lab in an education environment.

The key success indicators included:

1. Sustainability
2. Capacity
3. Stakeholder commitment
4. Community participation
5. Applicability
6. Robustness
7. Cost
8. Replicability

By March 2006, 200 primary and high schools formed partnerships with the Foundation to innovate, develop, test and implement scenario's to achieve the outcomes and milestones of the tuXlab program. The schools are situated in 3 of the 9 provinces of South Africa with Western Cape as urban, Eastern Cape - peri-urban and Limpopo as rural, to gain learnings for different economic areas.

• Western Cape - 120
• Eastern Cape - 50
• Limpopo - 30
• North West - 3
• Kwazulu Natal - 2
• Gauteng - 1

It was decided to share these learnings at conferences, via mailing lists and websites, as well as develop a Howto tuXlab manual. Version 1 was completed by early 2005 and version 2 released planned for early 2007. Several local and international projects adopted some components of the tuXlab programme and we encourage other to follow suit.

During 2004 to 2006, the schools and the tuXlab team test numerous approach to achieve;

1. Cost effective technology scoping
2. Educator skills approaches
3. Curriculum integration solutions
4. Sustainability solutions
5. Support approaches

To date, with the help of strategic partnerships focusing on stakeholder buy-in, sustainability implementation, community and corporate participation and the Department of Education's commitment of evaluation and monitoring role, we were able to develop a 7-step tuXlab project
implementation model.

The tuXlab model consist of the convergence of the open source philosophy and technologies that delivers a step-by-step process for establishing a sustainable ICT environment for the education sector. Its primary guideline has been focused on the South African E- Education
Whitepaper ( link) . Learn more about tuXlab approaches for:

1. ICT skills with Certification
2. Primary school curriculum integration
3. Computer Application Technology (CAT) - showcase Northberry/schoolsIT partnership
4. Mathematics and Science curriculum delivery - Nwest school - baralong
5. Financial Sustainability (entrepreneur model)

The tuXlab programme enjoyed support from a number of sectors ranging from education, government, civil society, IT ( hardware and network), Educational ICT, corporate and media. The many tuXlabs could also not be implemented without the help of hundreds of volunteers from:

• Schools Linux User Group
• Port Elisabeth Linux User group
• HP i-Community Learnership students
• Limpopo University IT lecturers and students
• Peninsuala Technicon
• Cape Linux User Group
• Pietermaritzburg Linux Enthusiast Group
• Linux Enthusiast Association of Durban