I wouldn't consider the Gimp as an alternative to Serif Photo Plus  !!! 
hardly any one in the professional graphics world uses it, it's a nasty 
cheapskate solution !!!



http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=347127  Have a look at this 
reported bug.   Merging layers is an absolutely basic functionality.  Can 
you imagine trying to explain this to a client just before a deadline.   "Oh 
I'm sorry but the colours have come out all wrong because of the software 
that I am using "    You simply wouldn't get paid for the job.



Go for Adobe Photoshop elements or if you want something more powerful the 
full product, that way the application skills will be transferable to what 
is widely and commonly used in industry.



Photoshop is a highly developed unstoppable product and it's a laughable 
joke that GIMP can be seen as any kind of replacement.



If you are mainly interested in natural media tools, that is digital brushes 
that behave like traditional media then I would seriously consider Corel 
Painter 9 and their light cut down version of this product  that is bundled 
with the Wacom Volito drawing tablet.  Corel have done fantastic things with 
Painter since they bought it off Procreate when Painter was on on  Version 
7.



Recently my Year 5 pupils have been very enthused by Corel Painter 9 though 
I  found that my first projects with this application were a flop because I 
simply didn't know how to use this application properly so I didn't know how 
to pick out those features of it that could work well in a teaching context.


They have been using drawing tablets and these devices are really essential 
for any kind of serious photo editing work.  Selecting an irregular shape 
can be really hard work without one.

If you already have Serif Photo Plus then there's nothing fundamentally 
wrong with it.  Serif Photo Plus provides most of the basic functionality of 
a good photo editor in an easily accessible user interface, that's what 
Serif are good at and the help files and documentation are excellent. Just 
learn how to use it and then teach with it.



Talk it up as if it is the best thing since sliced bread and the kids will 
love it, despite its occasional unreliability.  It's a good product for a 
school environment.



These are some typical sample pieces that Year 7 pupils have done with Serif 
Photo Plus. They were working on a Surrealism and photo editing project.



http://www.ictused4.com/gallery/DisplayShowPic.aspx?PictureURL=Khamhar%20sCHOOLIN%20THE%20RAIN%20NEW%20_01.jpg



http://www.ictused4.com/gallery/DisplayShowPic.aspx?PictureURL=my%20angel%20pic%20with%20fire%20and%20fruit%201.jpg



http://www.ictused4.com/gallery/DisplayShowPic.aspx?PictureURL=g-d%20looking%20down%20at%20us%20Charles.jpg 
I'm particularly fond of this one :)



http://www.ictused4.com/gallery/DisplayShowPic.aspx?PictureURL=st%20johns%20finney.jpg



I'm sorry but if you are going to try to teach photo editing then you are 
going to have to learn about all about intricacies of photo editing yourself 
first and just swapping from one application to the next is not going to 
provide you with some short cut route that will help you to bi pass this 
basic task.



That's what I've learnt from the problems that I experienced when teaching 
with Corel Painter 9, I simply didn't know enough about digital  painting to 
get it right :(



Also it really does help to know something about Art and Design and I dont 
think that digital imaging should not be taught by ICT teachers unless they 
have had a great support and training before hand.


-- 
Richard Finnigan
Work Website http://www.ictused4.com/gallery
Homepage http://www.richardsthings.co.uk
Hobby Webpage http://www.closeimage.co.uk