Correct me if I'm wrong, but today's Ubuntu systems do come installed with OO, and even if not, it's not like it's difficult to acquire when the user grasps only the fundamentals of the package system(two or three navigating moves, a search entry, and one or two clicks), which is fully available with more applications than one has time in their lifespan to go through let alone actually use. :) But alas, the problem I think with OO, at least in my experience, is that OO is like a one way function- it accepts .doc formats but it's not /completely/ compatible the other way around- going to a purely Win Office(Word) world. I've noticed simple discrepancies after saving in OO and then opening in Word that I didn't particularly care for. However, the most full-circle solution that I found to that was(possibly an advanced topic for this student), is to open up something like VMWare Player or Workstation and there's your glorified Windows Office.
What urks me about these schools is that they're not as informed as they're supposed to be. Making such stringent requirements such as those are just plain moronic. But as you do, I see the cause- they're trying to make the dough through the licenses by demanding their students adhere to these rules.. when in reality they could just say "Windows compatible" - come on.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but today's Ubuntu systems do come installed with OO"
It's good if it does, but I wouldn't know. If there is a problem between OO and Word, the simplest solution would probably be to save in .rtf as I've never seen a problem between any program saving in .rtf and it being opened in Word. I even worked this way for a long time when I worked as a reviewer, I used a simple blank canvas type of text editor and then I just loaded everything into word, did a quick spell check and sent it off. There was never a single problem.
What urks me about these schools is that they're not as informed as they're supposed to be. Making such stringent requirements such as those are just plain moronic. But as you do, I see the cause- they're trying to make the dough through the licenses by demanding their students adhere to these rules.. when in reality they could just say "Windows compatible" - come on.