French authorities plan on passing out open-source software to incoming high school freshman next year.

The software expected to include Firefox and Thunderbird as well as an office suite; instant messaging software and an audio video player will be put on a USB flash drive and passed out to students at the beginning of the school year. The USB drive will give students the ability to check email and surf the web with personal preferences without purchasing each child their own personal laptop.

An expected 175,000 USB sticks will be passed out this year at a cost of around 3.4 million dollars. Should the program be a success the Greater Paris Regional Council plans on continuing it in following years.

The company that wins the bid for the USB sticks will determine the exact software included on the stick. All of the software is required to be open-source.

[via Yahoo!]