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Original poster

To feel computer scheme in school seems a tad unethical

37 replies

Yougetwhatyouget · 03/07/2025 15:05

Child will start secondary next year and we got an email about getting them a Chromebook for a little under £500. I asked a few questions & established

  • School will use computers for work in lessons
  • She can’t take the tablet she already has to use in school as it has to be a Chromebook from this supplier with specific software
  • If she doesn’t have one we buy it’s not guaranteed the school can provide one to students on a 1:1 basis
  • Any payment schemes are at over 10% APR

We will buy one but this doesn’t feel very much like a voluntary scheme as it’s like buy this or have your child disadvantaged and the laptops seem very expensive (I know they come with insurance and it’s not a ludicrous price but it is a lot). I’m not suggesting this is unusual but more just pondering how stuff like this and the stupid school uniform demands that result in people spending a fortune on badged stuff are so prevalent.

OP posts:
Cyanometer · 03/07/2025 18:00

DS's school is similar, but it don't think they profit from the scheme.

The laptop was repaired once (broken screen) under warranty. I think it's out of warranty now though.

I thought having the laptop meant that DS wouldn't have to cart jotters around, but he still has to.

Teanbiscuits33 · 03/07/2025 17:56

Why can’t you buy one of the same model and spec elsewhere? Is it because they’ve backed you into a corner with the software? You’re right, it is unethical to make you pay over the odds from a school supplier. Tell them you don’t have that kind of money. There will be people who don’t and they can’t let someone do without if it will limit their access to education. I’d consider also making a complaint by email to the school.

Original poster
Yougetwhatyouget · 03/07/2025 17:46

SerendipityJane · 03/07/2025 16:47

Personally I would be much more concerned about all the accounts they will need to setup and where that data will be leaked to in time.

You realise this scheme is for the suppliers benefit, not your children's don't you ?

Also, unless it's a specific model of Chromebook with specific hardware (which I doubt) then any Chromebook will work (although it may need to be signed into the schools Google account).

I take it this policy is compatible with the Equality Act, so that any need for screen reading or describing tools is catered for ?

I’m not a huge fan of it as a scheme. That said she’ll have accounts set up to use tech at school regardless. She has accounts for all manner of homework apps already. The school have said she has to buy from the scheme to get a licence that’s used so they can connect to her device and manage security controls. I’ve no idea about the equalities act concerns you mention - my initial concerns were around the pressure it puts on families who may not be able to afford the scheme. I’m not sure whether or not there even are any kids in the school who would need those adaptive tools let alone if the scheme provides them.

OP posts:
SerendipityJane · 03/07/2025 16:47

Personally I would be much more concerned about all the accounts they will need to setup and where that data will be leaked to in time.

You realise this scheme is for the suppliers benefit, not your children's don't you ?

Also, unless it's a specific model of Chromebook with specific hardware (which I doubt) then any Chromebook will work (although it may need to be signed into the schools Google account).

I take it this policy is compatible with the Equality Act, so that any need for screen reading or describing tools is catered for ?

Original poster
Yougetwhatyouget · 03/07/2025 16:10

SherlocksDeerstalker · 03/07/2025 15:53

We are phasing our scheme out as the chromebooks are crap. Agree with other posters that if it’s MY laptop, I don’t want filtering and monitoring software on it telling me what I can and can’t do. On school devices fair enough. On MY device, no.

I’m thinking the one small advantage is we can say the laptop is for all school stuff and the existing iPad is for fun and that way we can lock down what’s accessible on the laptop and restrict time on iPad. It’s a reasonable point though. If it’s all you have and it’s restricted that feels very unreasonable.

OP posts:
SherlocksDeerstalker · 03/07/2025 15:53

We are phasing our scheme out as the chromebooks are crap. Agree with other posters that if it’s MY laptop, I don’t want filtering and monitoring software on it telling me what I can and can’t do. On school devices fair enough. On MY device, no.

RaspberryJungle · 03/07/2025 15:52

No way I could pay that. I don't do debt either - I'm too poor to be sure I can make payments to take on finance...

I work in a school. I know how difficult it is to have angry parents turning up. I'd still turn up furious and demanding answers if they tried this in my kid's school. If the school wants brand specific things and won't accept pre-existing alternatives (over about £45), then they can pay for it. Or explain how their planning doesn't expand disadvantage, at length, while I point out the effects on their disadvantaged families through school buy-ins and knockbacks.

I went to a large trust conference once, with a key note speaker there to explain poverty in education to those too well paid and well brought up to have a clue. The executives were struck by her amazing insight; I wasn't. He life had been exactly the same as mine, but she ended up a professor not a TA. Schools preach understanding of poverty, but it's bullshit. SLT are too well cushioned to actually understand even if it's something they see on the daily. It's good for them to understand the effect of their own wankery.

Octavia64 · 03/07/2025 15:48

My school introduced chronebopks some years ago.

the school didn’t profit from the scheme.

it seemed largely pointless (but I taught a subject where chronebooks don’t really add anything).

I guess it eased pressure on computer rooms and made IT teaching easier.

TooManyCupsAndMugs · 03/07/2025 15:44

Very unethical. My son needs an iPad for college- we leased it for a deposit of £75 which gets returned at the end of the course.

Original poster
Yougetwhatyouget · 03/07/2025 15:33

I don’t object to the school benefitting in some way but I do to the pressure to decide quickly (info just came out earlier this week and we have to sign up by end of next week)

OP posts:
Original poster
Yougetwhatyouget · 03/07/2025 15:31

I guess it just feels a bit unethical to pressure parents to buy a laptop at a high price (same spec in shops is more like £260) because if they don’t their kid might have to share in IT based lessons.We can just buy it and we will as we don’t want her to struggle but not sure what proportion of families can just spend that much extra up front at a few weeks notice.

OP posts:
Newbutoldfather · 03/07/2025 15:10

My son’s school did similar.

It turned out the chrome books were bought in bulk at a nice discount and were out of date!

But they did the job, albeit clunkily, and were provided to those in need for free, so everyone had the same kit.

And I am not sure any parents/children would want to buy an expensive computer only to have the school’s mandatory monitoring software put on it.

I am not sure I would call it unethical, but I think the school does derive a little income from it. The 10% APR does seem a bit dodgy though.

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