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AIBU?

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Original poster

School moving to Chromebooks but what insurance is going to cover theft from the changing rooms?

41 replies

KnowlWay · 26/05/2021 19:57

Finding it impossible to get a policy for DS’s Chromebook to be insured at school. The school are introducing their own lease to buy machines but we already have a higher spec so will use that but getting any insurance is proving to be impossible. AIBU to think they should just stick to quill and ink and save devices for homework?

OP posts:
TwoAndAnOnion · 26/05/2021 19:59

@KnowlWay

Finding it impossible to get a policy for DS’s Chromebook to be insured at school. The school are introducing their own lease to buy machines but we already have a higher spec so will use that but getting any insurance is proving to be impossible. AIBU to think they should just stick to quill and ink and save devices for homework?
I would use the schools lease product because it will be on a collective insurance policy
ZZTopGuitarSolo · 26/05/2021 20:02

I would also use the school's lease product, and take their collective insurance. That's what we do.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 26/05/2021 20:03

Wait, is the school expecting you to pay for these devices? What happens to those families who can't afford them?

JoyOrbison · 26/05/2021 20:03

Don't take your own in, use schools! Honestly we have them and even though they are labelled and assigned by machine number to pupils the amount of problems people claiming someone else's is there's, damage etc is a nightmare!

SaffyWall · 26/05/2021 20:04

My DS is at a school where every pupil has a iPad, paid for monthly by parents/carers and part of the payment goes towards an insurance policy that covers their entire time at school til Yr11/Yr13. It never occurred to me to look at what exactly the policy covers to be honest. Since the school implemented the iPads not one has been stolen though - each devices is 'locked' to a specific child and so useless to anyone else and when each child has something why would they steal someone else's? I know of a couple of people who have claimed on the policy when a device has been damaged (the policy only covers devices if they're in the approved case) but no have ever gone missing.

The iPads, and the fact that every child has access to the same learning tools, were a godsend during lockdown so I'm not surprised to hear of more schools moving towards a universal IT device after the past year.

CoffeeCakey · 26/05/2021 20:05

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

Wait, is the school expecting you to pay for these devices? What happens to those families who can't afford them?
That's what I was thinking. This can't be compulsory surely?
Babbly · 26/05/2021 20:05

Use the school's. They'll undoubtedly want software on there that you won't want on your own device anyway.

TwoAndAnOnion · 26/05/2021 20:07

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

Wait, is the school expecting you to pay for these devices? What happens to those families who can't afford them?
The school IS providing them, the OP has a superior model she wishes to use
SometimesALime · 26/05/2021 20:09

The changing rooms at my son's school are locked once everyone is changed to avoid stealing. I would honestly use the school one. All stuff on the school Chromebook will be accessible from his own Chromebook at home. Works under a Google sign in.

Sprogonthetyne · 26/05/2021 20:58

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

Wait, is the school expecting you to pay for these devices? What happens to those families who can't afford them?
Usually pupil premium students will have the payment covered by the school. I actually quite like the fact everyone has the same, and non of the kids know who's parents are or aren't making payments.
sbhydrogen · 26/05/2021 21:01

Are children going to know how to write with a pen anymore?

Frogartist · 26/05/2021 21:01

Schools aren't exactly helping young people spending less time online!

Pinetreesfall · 26/05/2021 21:06

@Frogartist I agree! Whatever happened to good old pen and paper!
We have the dreaded compulsory iPads which are a requirement for school.
School pay an insurance policy for them and we pay for the devices monthly.
There was never a question of whether it could be afforded or not - it was just given and a bill sent! Ouch!

m0therofdragons · 26/05/2021 21:08

One of our local secondaries has this and seems to think it’s a great idea. 100% of pupils have them yet they struggled to have online learning in first lockdown. All GCSEs are still written exams so that actually put me off that school and I chose one that wasn’t obsessed with bloody chrome books.

looptheloopinahulahoop · 26/05/2021 21:09

If every child has one, are they likely to get stolen?

Babbly · 26/05/2021 21:12

Surely it's better to get kids used to typing rather than writing with a pen? You know, because one of those skills is going to be vastly more important to their life...

Frogartist · 26/05/2021 21:13

Exactly, laptops and ipads for school children are presented as a solution to "everything". But remote learning didn't work that well for lots of children despite having the technology. I actually think that good quality old fashioned text books would have been more useful to many students during lockdown.

m0therofdragons · 26/05/2021 21:14

@Babbly yet exams are all hand written.

Frogartist · 26/05/2021 21:16

@Babbly

Surely it's better to get kids used to typing rather than writing with a pen? You know, because one of those skills is going to be vastly more important to their life...
It doesn't take that long to "get used to typing". Type writers have been around longer than computers;) If we stopped teaching children to use pens we lose some creativity as well as making our society very vulnerable.
Pinetreesfall · 26/05/2021 21:25

@Babbly
But they're not learning to type properly on the iPads.
I use pen and paper a lot for work still - it's important to have decent handwriting and be able to spell independently of some sort of device!

Petrarkanian · 26/05/2021 21:30

I work at a leading Google school. We've used Chromebooks for the last 8 years. 99% of kids buy the school version. My daughter has had hers for 4 years.
Hardly any ( in fact I can't think of one) get stolen, they are all registered to that child and can be turned off by IT if needed. We can also limit what websites per individual child.

It's not perfect but we led in the area during lockdown, we obviously still had our fair share of students not working, but we ran a full timetable and provided support to our Send kids.

Not all exams are written we have about 20% who type their answers.

Original poster
KnowlWay · 26/05/2021 21:30

Thanks for the insights.
It’s £14 a month for 3 years and he’s already got a similar device.
The changing rooms won’t get locked.
A local school has had iPads for a while and I think they want to compete.
Pupil Premium children get one without paying and financial support is offered for people who need it.

OP posts:
BathshebaKnickerStickers · 26/05/2021 21:35

Our school - Scotland- issues government provided chrome books to children who live in socially deprived areas.

As part of the agreement that the families are given to take them home is an acknowledgment they they will either insure the device on their home contents insurance or take responsibility for the cost of any repairs or damages and theft of the device.

Frogartist · 26/05/2021 21:42

I work at a leading Google school
I am not criticising you personally, but why are we letting Google, a profit-making data mining business, have access to our children's work, results, abilities, location and thoughts?

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 26/05/2021 21:43

The school IS providing them, the OP has a superior model she wishes to use

Yes, I'm aware of that. My question was whether the school is expecting all students to pay for the lease-to-own devices, which the OP has answered.

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