To think school should realise not everyone has a computer?

[Iusemyphoneteach]

School have decided to set up an online learning system just in case there’s further lockdown. We’ve all had letters home this week telling us how to log on and telling us our children must have certain bits of homework done by Monday (downloaded and uploaded when completed) to prove we’ve accessed the system. The letters just seem to assume we all have computers to do this and there’s nothing in there about what to do if you don’t.

Obviously I’m going to have to embarrass myself and go into school to tell them we don’t have one so we can’t use the site at the moment until I’ve managed to get one but AIBU to think school should realise (especially in such a low income area) that not everyone has access to a computer and not everyone can magic access to one by Monday?

I understand why they’re setting it up and I think it’s great but it’s just the way they assume we can all do it. I know I won’t be the only parent in the same situation.

@CheetasOnFajitas
I have read the update - that she would rather be obstinate/obstructive and not let her children use her phone.

@Iusemyphoneteach
Download the free Google docs app that allows you to use word docs and then download as a word doc when finished.

@Iusemyphoneteach

And there are very few families who can't find £60 for essential school equipment.

Perhaps, over time. I know I’m fortunate because given time we will be able to save up and get something for dd to use. It’s the fact that we’ve had the initial letter, a reminder letter, and another little note yesterday all in the space of one week telling us we need to access this website and make sure this work is done prove we can get on the website. We never get that many letters about anything! And none of these letters has anything about what to do if you don’t have the equipment to access it or that there’s no rush if we haven’t got equipment to do it straight away. Not even a nice little “any problems, let us know” so that we feel a little bit less like scummy bottom dwellers for not being able do it straight away. It feels very pressured. Also, I know a lot of people will have just spent the last £60 on school uniforms and will still be recovering from that. Or maybe they don’t want to risk their last precious £60 they have on a possibly dodgy second hand eBay computer that’s been god knows where and been used by god knows who? Imagine spending that much and then it doesn’t work or is a fire risk or something?

I really appreciate all the replies btw. It’s interesting to see how differently schools are handling it and I do agree they can’t win no matter what they do. I just feel in this situation they should have asked if people could access the site rather than assuming or just put a little something in the letters to show they are aware we might not be able to and to not worry if we can’t straight away. We live in a deprived area so it’s not a stretch to imagine we don’t all have laptops to hand or tablets for the kids etc. I mean, I only have this phone because a million years ago when I wasn’t ill, a phone company let me have credit and I’ve carried on that contract, upgrading when the last one finally dies a death. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have a smart phone either!

@Iusemyphoneteach I would see that an investment in say a tablet is appropriate and can be paid over 3 or 6 months interest free. That could be less than £20 a month.

I actually think it is an area where the state could partner with business. There are plenty of big firms that have a rolling tech upgrade programme. The old laptops would be high enough spec for school. If you could get firms to clean them and donate at least a proportion that would make a big difference.

I like this idea. I'd be interested to know whether it is truly viable. I'm aware that a lot of businesses treat old IT as fully depreciated and therefore worthless so it is hard to see why they would not want to engage with this. Of course I'm sure it's much more complex than that.

However looking at some of the posts on this thread, various people seem willing to bend over backwards to not spend money on buying cheap ICT for their kids ('it'll have spyware on it/it'll burn my house down/it's probably a scam'). So whilst I'm naturally left-leaning, based almost purely on this thread, I'm worried about the state intervention/personal responsibility balance here. There is a difference between not having the money and not wanting to spend it (I'm not looking at the OP here, BTW).

@SoloMummy
The OP uses her phone to manage a disability that is neither obstinate nor obstructive. Do you think the OP should chose between her disability or her children’s education?

Schools will have provision. They don't announce it on letters because then they would be inundated with requests from families who don't need help but think they're entitled to a computer if someone else is getting one. In future, it would be better to contact the school when you receive the first letter rather than the third. Sometimes the processes or funding can take time to access depending on which scheme they are using.
Don't be embarrassed. HTs are well aware of the demographic of their pupils and there are usually lots of safety nets and support behind the scenes that parents only become aware of when they need it.

I understand why they’re setting it up and I think it’s great but it’s just the way they assume we can all do it. I know I won’t be the only parent in the same situation

Isn't this just like not being able to afford uniform, so you just, like ask them?

I don’t think it’s right that some children will be able to tap away full screen on a computer while others are expected to scrunch over their mums phone trying to do their work on a tiny screen. School should set work everyone can access equally and not be disadvantaged by how they can or can’t access it

The work shouldn't require a PC, so should be doable from a tablet/phone, yes. However I am not sure what you would have liked? You can't forbid some pupils from doing it from a computer when others do it from a tablet/phone. Or do you want paper only for everybody?

To be honest, in 2020 I don't think it is unfair to assume families have a way to do digital work offline.

And as you say, you actually have a smartphone, can't you let your DC use it under your supervision to make sure he doesn't break it?

Schools are a bit damned if they do/damned if they don’t with the online learning. If we don’t build an online platform, we’ll be crucified. If we do it’s seen as discriminatory.

This. Remember the posts on MN over lockdown from parents complaining that their DC's were being "disadvantaged" because their school weren't doing live lessons and some schools were?

We sent out paper packs of work for students who didn't have access to IT over lockdown and one of the parents complained it was bad for the environment. But according to them their child didn't have access to any technology so what did they want us to do??

Blame Gavin Williamson, he went on TV and lied to the nation that all kids who didn't have IT access would be given a laptop. Then of course when this turned out to be a nonsense it was schools who were in the position of having to disappoint parents.

Our school did a survey and asked how many devices we had which could connect to the Internet.

Non of our dcs used laptops throughout lockdown, they accessed the work set on tablets or phones. I don't think it is unreasonable of the school to assume most households will have a smartphone or tablet or laptop or pc.

Nothing to be embarrassed about. They need to know which children can't access work remotely, so this is actually quite proactive.

It may work on a tablet though, ds school use the see saw app which I can't even get it on my laptop.

Can you access on your phone or tablet and beam to TV?

Maybe check your local Facebook group, I’ve seen a few old laptops offered for free on mine recently. If not try the school, or appeal to charities /local authority.

Schools have no alternative to online teaching if we have another lockdown. We can’t stop education in the country because some families can’t afford basic necessities. That’s a whole separate issue.

It's not the school, it's central government. They have recently issued schools with very specific guidance regarding remote learning. There guidance is on the basis that they've supplied schools with the appropriate materials, laptops for example. I don't know of one school that has had anything off the government. I really wish people would do a bit of basic research before calling schools out.....

Please speak to your school. On the flip side as a teacher I had to spend £400 to buy a new laptop as my notebook didn't have a microphone to narrate PowerPoints . Not all staff are equipped at home.

I also had to buy a printer.

It's really difficult.
I'm a teacher. The Government have just announced to schools that they need to have a full programme of study to teach the curriculum remotely by the end of September. As you can imagine, schools have a lot more to deal with so it's being rushed.
The guidelines also say that sending work (hard copy) in and out of school is a covid risk. So schools are stuck really - if not on paper and not online how else can they do it?
They really should have made it clear to contact them should you need help accessing a tablet or computer - you're right.

Apparently with old pap tops etc (and I was told this by the headteacher in a meeting to address the inequality to solve the issue of have and have nots), the laptops etc need to be sent away to somewhere licensed to wipe and make sure there's nothing iffy on them, the time it takes to do this and the fact they'd have to them be sat in a room just in case they were infected then adds to the problem.

I said get someone involved with the school licensed and solve that problem.

It seems like there are so many hurdles put in place to allow something which is solvable that head teachers are literally being asked to do the impossible.

I also had what if one parent sells the lap top fir drugs that we've lent them? What if one parent complains someone shouldn't be able to have a free laptop when others perceive they're wealthy enough to already have one. It was like banging my head against a wall.

It's not as easy as it should be.

The Primary schools that I deal with don’t have laptops for the teachers never mind for the pupils. Teachers aren’t meant to use their own equipment for safeguarding reasons.

It's also worth investigating your local library (if you're lucky enough to have one). They often have workstations available, you don't need your own device, but you will need to book in advance.

The guidelines also say that sending work (hard copy) in and out of school is a covid risk

How ridiculous.

[quote ChazsBrilliantAttitude]@SoloMummy
The OP uses her phone to manage a disability that is neither obstinate nor obstructive. Do you think the OP should chose between her disability or her children’s education?[/quote]
I think that further clarity on that is needed. As unless literally being used 247,i think that it's still unreasonable to not be willing for the benefits of the children's education to let them use it, supervised, is unreasonable.
I have a personal laptop, and didn't relish it being damaged tbh. So the responsibility was on me making sure it was used supervised and advised of how I expected them to use it.

I suspect that the OP’s school has had a boot up their arse given the dreadful sounding lack of provision during lockdown.

The bottom line is though that COVID has expedited a move to using technology school children that would otherwise have been slower. I suspect in five years time parents will View providing technology for school work as normal as buying school shoes are now. And there will probably be an enhanced market of suitable lowish cost products as the demand rises. So I look at this as a bit of a transitional period. Not that this is much help for low income families without the tech today.

My year group are in isolation at the moment and have provided devices to everyone who needs them, please don’t be afraid to ask!

My dd at a private prep school. It's £20k PA loads of dc didn't have computers and I personally know families who are absolutely loaded went to the school and let them know about it. The school then provided
I don't have a spare computer for dd so we got by buying a keyboard for the iPad.

Don't be embarrassed to ask though, it's not necessarily a reflection of your finances, not many people want to dash out and buy a computer for a temporary thing, perhaps they worded the letter to stop too many people possibly taking the piss as will always happen if they openly suggested everyone can have one.