Gibbon – Open Source School Platform

Gibbon is a free, open source school platform founded in October 2010 by Ross Parker at International College Hong Kong (ICHK) in response to a lack of powerful, usable open source school systems. Development is overseen by the non-profit Gibbon Foundation, while Gibbon Education Limited provides extended commercial services such as expert support, server management and the Catalyst License.

The platform is a self-hosted PHP and MySQL web application that combines student information and learning management. Modules cover planning, timetables, departments, resources, activities, individual needs and library (Learn); students, applications, attendance, behaviour, staff and form groups (People); markbook, rubrics, tracking and formal assessment (Assess); plus messenger, finance and administration. Parents can view attendance, marks and messages. The interface is available in about 26 languages, including Vietnamese, and it suits schools from small private to international schools.

• Learn: planner, timetable, departments, resources, activities, individual needs and library.
• People: student profiles and alerts, application form, attendance, behaviour and staff records.
• Assess: markbook, rubrics, tracking, formal and crowd assessment.
• Messenger and Finance: school communications and fee management.
• Calendar and Student Alerts: event scheduling and automatic or manual alerts added in v30.
• Extended services: Query Builder with the Catalyst License, expert support and server management.

A small bilingual school in Vietnam could self-host Gibbon for attendance, markbook and parent messaging at no licence cost. A local IT services firm could become a certified Gibbon partner and offer hosting and support to schools. An international school could use the Planner and Rubrics modules for curriculum planning and criteria-based assessment.

No licence fees for the core platform, which lowers the cost of a school information system for small and mid-sized schools. Full control over data and hosting because the school runs its own installation. Vietnamese and some 25 other interface languages support multilingual staff and parents. Optional paid support, server management and the 150 USD per year Catalyst License add reporting queries when needed.

Schools with limited budgets and concerns about data sovereignty are turning to open source information systems they can host themselves. In Vietnam, small private and bilingual schools need affordable, localised school management tools, and a Vietnamese interface lowers the barrier to adoption.

Founded in October 2010 by Ross Parker at International College Hong Kong. Governed by the non-profit Gibbon Foundation, funded by memberships and donations; Gibbon Education Limited sells extended services. Credits four Vietnamese translators for the Vietnamese interface.