To be sick of school directly undermining me

Sounds like you havent had a conversation with school though? Maybe just call thexl school and raise your concerns. They will then clarify stuff which may put your mind at rest. If you dont like it i guess research other schools which align with your wishes and move her. I think AI is marching at speed and everyone, children included, need to embrace it. Because the reality is everything eventually will be computer based with no need for pen, paper or physical books.

I got quite the shock when my DD started secondary school last year.

not a single textbook to cover, not one exercise book carried around in their bag.

all homework done online, including reading!

At least at primary it seems to be a mix and match of physical/ebooks.

I would be very uncomfortable with this.
I understand that it’s probably the way things are going but they should be making an effort to make sure handwriting skills are maintained and PE lessons on iPads is crazy.
Is there a Montessori or similar nearby? Is that an option ?

I would hate this too.

I don't think I'd frame it as undermining you. Its not personal.

I'd choose a different school if I could. If not I'd opt them out of iPad loans / iPad homework / e books, and support their learning at home with proper books / worksheets.

Our school don't give children ipads (I avoided the school that boasted they had an iPad per child for this reason. However, in Reception I was really unhappy with the amount of TV they watched. And it wasn't alphablocks - they watched 30 mins of Disney films after lunch to "calm down" every day! Plus other stuff like Danny Go.

So far in the first week of Year 1 they've watched 30 mins of TV in total, as a treat, which I still think isn't necessary, but much better than last year. Fingers crossed.

I have no suggestions for you other than try another school, but I absolutely wouldn't be happy about it either. Good luck.

Most primaries do computing lessons so there is some screen time there.

physical books are very expensive and yes many primaries now use ebooks. Homework on apps is also fairly standard - mathletics, timetables practice, etc.

Ours have maths and English apps, their homework is on them too.

They tend to do a YouTube movement break for 5 minutes when the class are wriggly and they don't have access to the daily mile outside

It doesn't bother me, I'd rather they learn safe use of tech in a controlled environment than what happens to too many and they have a very naive and sudden introduction when much older.

My (junior age) class never do more than an hour a day on a Chromebook, including days with computing lessons, and often do no more than 25 minutes. Many days it's nothing. Most English primaries cannot afford a device per child or even between two so they'd never be on them all day. We use proper books but these are expensive to replace when they (frequently) aren't returned to school. Teaching PE with YouTube is just rubbish unless the hall is out of action or something. MNers get het up about YouTube adverts but you just skip them and no we can't afford the subscription at £13 a month as above.

I don't, however, tell parents what apps I've 'signed their child up for' as you put it, any more than I tell them exactly what worksheet we're doing or whatever. I would tell them if they asked but I don't feel any need to inform them if we use a new website or app.

I would choose your battles - Reading an ebook rather than a paperback seems fine to me, for example.

AI and YouTube and social apps and all of that nonsense? I'd be very surprised if you're the only parent taking issue with this!

Is it worth talking to other parents and the governors? My school had tablets for every child for a while and what felt like overuse/ over reliance on them but changed when parents complained via governors (and as the tablets started breaking). They now have 2 class sets that come out occasionally.

I don't like it either, but it's the way the UK is going and I'm not prepared to home school so have to put up with it!

I hope we quickly see sense and do a u turn like Sweden.

Have you taken a look at the school’s digital safeguarding policy?

it doesn’t sound as if you know what APPs they are using. Can you find out first and then look into the security from there?

knowledge is power and you may find that everything is being done safely to put your mind at rest. Or you may find specific things to talk about to focus your conversation

YANBU to have not had the school make it clear how they use technology in learning.

To make it a fun game, rather than a chore.
more time spent answering questions = more coins to buy your avatar a fancy little hat to wear.

makes perfect sense to me.

Why on earth do kids need to earn coins for Maths homework? Utter nonsense.

I’m all for kindles/ reading apps used alongside paperbacks, but only using screens seems like a huge step back! I think you’ll find the principal is a tech head, in the same way our principal is sporty so the world in our school became about sports

YANBU. I do supply teaching so I can be in a year one class one day and then a different year one class the next day. Some schools use technology sensibly and sparingly and others use it all of the time. I know that if the instructions left for me say put something on the board for when they come in’ I’m in for a day of screens. Some classes can’t listen to a story from a book because they are used to everything being on a screen.

There is loads of research to show that reading the printed word is preferable to a screen.
Tech has its place but this school sounds ridiculous.

I'd hate this and I'd look for another school. And I was a teacher. I also wouldn't work in a school like that.

Also, it may be worth asking her teacher directly just how much they are using tablets. Primary school children aren’t always the most reliable with their recollection of the school day! 🤣

With the YouTube yoga example, I think yoga is a great thing to start young, but it would cost much more to get a RL instructor in, but just watching TV's not the best way to spend your education.

Having said that, I'm too lazy to do yoga, and television taught me everything I know!*

(*slight exaggeration there)

My child’s school didn’t have iPads for each of the children, but their maths homework was online (mathletics - you earn coins and can buy outfits for your avatar, and then TTRS.)
the e-books thing was to do with phonics, I can’t remember exactly what the website was, as this was reception - year 2.

I didn’t concern me, as it was all educational.

Perhaps see if any other schools in your area use iPads less, and can accommodate your daughter.

Wow. If this is true, I'm incredulous and things have obviously changed a lot in only 15 years since my dc started school.

I would not like this.

Do they read actual books at all? I mean, surely, they do?

I do not object to iPads one bit, we all need to learn how to use them this sounds way too much screen activity.

Good for you for querying this, OP.

I’m a primary teacher here who’s done a lot of supply teaching. This is not typical at all in primary schools. Usually they just use laptops or iPads a little bit for computing and perhaps spelling/times tables games.

Do they actually use iPads, or just tablets? I guess iPad is these days what Hoover was when I was a kid...