Did I make the right choice to refuse?

[VelvetChairGirl]

in August I got sent a form from the new secondary school for student chromebooks. it said they will have the same one for the whole of secondary which they keep at home to do there homework on and its loaded up with school software etc.

it also said about costs, if the charger is lost or broken you have to pay £60, if you damage or scratch the screen £120, if you lose or break the chromebook £200.

I did not give my consent, I ticked the box for do not want a chromebook, I do not think its posible that it would last the whole of secondary school without me getting charged for something breaking on it/getting damaged.

Come september and they automatically gave my child a chromebook to bring home without my permission, I took it back after some back and forth and they seemed rather confused why I didnt want my child having it.

3 weeks in and he now has 2 pieces of online homework he cant do because he needs a student Microsoft account which they havn't given me the login for (its on all their Chromebooks, so again confusion about them not understanding I didnt accept the chromebook because I dont want the liability).

should I have just accepted the chromebook? it was secondhard with scratches on it anyway, I looked it up the model before handing it back and they have been on the market 3 years. we have a HP Pavilion laptop with windows10 I bought in January.

so I guess the question is was I being unreasonable to refuse a old chromebook because of all the charges I would have to pay if something happened to it.

I am really feeling like I am the only parent at that school who refused as all he school staff act like he has one and they all seem very confused.

Ok, so if I'm reading this correctly what the school haven't done is to establish an exception process for the kids that don't opt for the Chromebook option, so they too have email, classroom and all the various applications that are needed to do their work.

Is that it?

@ElvisPresleyHadABaby

What does your DS think?

He prefers the laptop, he messed around with the chromebook for a few mins, it was slow the keyboard was different and no mouse (we use a mouse on the laptop).

it was for keeping at home, in school they have computers, the chromebook had a odd keyboard with very big gaps between the keys which obviously you dont get on a laptop, he has used laptops a few years and has a WPM of 95% with 97% accuracy so he would be slower on a chromebook with big gaps between the keys

@Flickerofhope

VelvetChairGirl The children also use chrome books in the classroom to complete certain subject/projects, what does your child do then?

If it's in the classroom then they should have access to one in class.

Asking kids to take a laptop to and from school everyday and expediting it to last years is just asking for trouble.

@TSSDNCOP

Ok, so if I'm reading this correctly what the school haven't done is to establish an exception process for the kids that don't opt for the Chromebook option, so they too have email, classroom and all the various applications that are needed to do their work.

Is that it?

kind of I have the applications they are all free, its the student email and login I dont have.

in fact I am assuming they are automatically installed on the chromebook and thats where the problem is because I didnt want the chromebook. when I emailed them about it they said its on his chromebook so I have emailed them again for the email and password for his Microsoft account for school and am waiting for a reply, he has asked them in class several times but not been given it.

"If it's in the classroom then they should have access to one in class.

Asking kids to take a laptop to and from school everyday and expediting it to last years is just asking for trouble"

no the chromebooks stay home. they have computers in the school with a totally different login which he knows.

Re the charger and mouse issues, you could buy a USB mouse very cheaply, and if you wanted you could buy your own charger for him to use so that the school one is never touched.

@mineofuselessinformation

Re the charger and mouse issues, you could buy a USB mouse very cheaply, and if you wanted you could buy your own charger for him to use so that the school one is never touched.

it wasnt USB unfortunately it was something propriety looked like a kettle plug to a brick.

Just go back to the school and tell them they either give you his access codes or he wont be doing the homework

I don't want someone else's chromebook or laptop with their software on it in my home I'm afraid. I'm no member of the tin foil hat brigade but after seeing a story in the news about a US school who tried to discipline a pupil for smoking weed at home, I don't trust other people's tech left in my home.

It turned out that the school issued laptops, full of the school's software were equipped with remote tracking (for security) and the ability to access the devices remotely. It was all there in the T&Cs and signed off by the families without knowing exactly what rights the school had. It was done under the guise of protecting school property. Sounds reasonable, right?

It all came out that the school had regularly been accessing the webcams and viewing what was happening "with their laptops". Laptops which had been placed in children's bedrooms, used in bathrooms, left open in living rooms etc. All places where privacy is expected. It all kicked off with lawsuits and due to this, it came to light that the same remote access abilities were part of most school districts students laptops all over the US.

So my kids will use my laaptops at home, complete with their sticking plaster webcam covers! At least if mine breaks I can claim on my own insurance. I don't think it would be the same for other people's property I'm using in my home.

@Chloemol

Just go back to the school and tell them they either give you his access codes or he wont be doing the homework

Yeah well if they dont give me it by tuesday by email I will have to go in there and try to talk to the receptionist in the office (worse then a GPs receptionist) well TBF theres two and ones fine its the other one thats worse then GPs

YANBU but to make your life easier...

Realistically, if it is going to be sitting at home and is only used for homework, how likely is it that it is going to get broken or lost? Just have it kept on a desk and don't allow it to be moved. It could be a pain in the future if you find that you are running a different version of software at home or they are using software that you don't have.

Is there no way to guess it? Do his pals have similar style User names eg [email protected] and was there a generic first password like Password0000

@TSSDNCOP

Is there no way to guess it? Do his pals have similar style User names eg [email protected] and was there a generic first password like Password0000

No they gave me his school email but not login (yet) its a load of numbers followed by half his surname

It's probably the same password he uses to log in to school computers. (Assuming they have them / don't just use the chrome books!).
I wouldn't have accepted either, those fees would make it unaffordable to me. I'd just send them in with a cheap lightweight laptop or chrome book if they had to have their own in school.. (probably secondhand, both the family tablet and computer is!).

Although if it is expected to be used in school too, I'd be complaining to head.

YANBU

We would not have signed the form or accepted the chromebook either.

We provide our own laptops for our children, like you are, and can just put their microsoft team info on those. School needs to provide the account details to parents to use on their own computers. It's not hard.

The Chrome books ours were given are insured by the High school not the parent... they are brand new .. and kept until they leave High school..

However... I understand why you don't want one due to the setup in your particular school.. which does seem unfavourable ... so they surely must provide your Son with his School Logins.. that's basic stuff...

Your school sounds pretty poor.. tbh

A little off topic but I know the pain of paying for replacement ports on tablets and phones, however much you tell them not to use the devices whilst they're charging. Can't recommend these enough, saved me a fortune - magnetic USB cable www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-AVIWIS-Charger-Charging-Samsung-Black/dp/B083LVLL1T/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&crid=8EFM5XLXEQ1V&keywords=magnetic+usb+c+charging+cable&sprefix=magnetic+usb&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1632579477&sr=8-3

[quote JeSuisPrest]A little off topic but I know the pain of paying for replacement ports on tablets and phones, however much you tell them not to use the devices whilst they're charging. Can't recommend these enough, saved me a fortune - magnetic USB cable www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-AVIWIS-Charger-Charging-Samsung-Black/dp/B083LVLL1T/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&crid=8EFM5XLXEQ1V&keywords=magnetic+usb+c+charging+cable&sprefix=magnetic+usb&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1632579477&sr=8-3[/quote]

these look great

Is this a Scottish school? If so his email address ([email protected]) will be his Microsoft login for Microsoft Teams, OneNote, etc. If they're using Google Classroom and other Google applications (which they might be, if they're handing out Chromebooks) then change the end of his email address to [email protected] to login to anything Google related, including the actual Chromebook) (same password)

@JeSuisPrest

A little off topic but I know the pain of paying for replacement ports on tablets and phones, however much you tell them not to use the devices whilst they're charging. Can't recommend these enough, saved me a fortune - magnetic USB cable ]]

oh it was fine my brothers an electrician I bought a pack of ten USB ports from aliexpress for about £3 (couldnt buy single) he fixed it, he also fixed the amazon fire after my son smashed the glass on the screen (£7 for replacement from banggood).

I bought similar to that from aliexpress years ago think I still have 2 they where about 3 pounds each, he managed to smash them too leaving the connector stuck in the port had to pull em out with tweezers.