Worldwide spending on open source software by schools is set to soar over the next four years, according to an in-depth study from research company Datamonitor.

Educational institutions are predicted to increase their investment in open source software and services from $286.2 million today to $489.9 million by 2012.

According to the report, investment in open source software from primary schools, secondary schools and universities will be driven by an interest in new learning systems, such as lectures via online webcasts, as well as maintenance and support issues.

However Datamonitor does not predict the death of proprietary software any time soon. Overall investment in open source software still represents a tiny fraction of the overall $9 billion spending on educational IT software in the countries surveyed.

The report was based on interviews with leading educational officials and vendors covering 14 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, France, and Italy.