The Scottish government has negotiated free Microsoft Office licences for school pupils, but this offer is set to end in August, according to the Scottish Herald. The free A1 Plus licence will no longer be available to students.
Glow, Scotland’s digital learning platform, has announced that Microsoft is changing its licensing policy, meaning that users will no longer be able to download desktop applications through their Glow account after August 1, 2024. Users will also be unable to activate products like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint desktop apps using their Glow M365 credentials.
Microsoft had introduced the A1 education licence in 2015 to assist schools in transitioning to the cloud. However, the company stated that the licence caused compliance issues for customers and has decided to discontinue the free A1 licence. Moving forward, schools in Scotland and across the UK will need to purchase A3 or A5 licences to continue using the full desktop version of the Microsoft product suite.
Teachers and students have expressed concerns about the changes, particularly regarding subjects that require the full version of Microsoft Office for coursework. While the situation in Scotland was highlighted, the changes will impact schools nationwide.
In Wales and England, schools have access to volume licensing discounts through framework agreements with Microsoft. The Welsh government, for example, signed a deal in 2019 for the full desktop version of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus. In 2024, Jisc signed a framework agreement with Microsoft for schools, further education, and higher education institutes in the UK.
Schools that have not yet purchased A3 or A5 licences will need to do so before the new school year begins in September. The A3 licence, which includes desktop versions of Microsoft Office and security features, costs £2.50 per pupil and £2.85 per teacher. Schools with existing agreements with Microsoft may be entitled to receive the full Office suite for free.