Device in Primary Schools

[Ihearticecream]

Hi, we are being told from year 4 we have to buy a mini laptop for our children to use in school and for their homework.
School openly admits we shouldn’t have to pay for it but the government are squeezing education and there’s no money but that this will help our children’s education and lead them into the future.

It costs about £500 including software and warranty for their three remaining years at Primary School. There are payment plans available, where interest is applied.
It will have appropriate safe guards and be monitored by the school.

We don’t feel we’ve been given much time to get used to the idea (essentially about six weeks from when they told us about it to the deadline to sign up).

It has split the year group as some think it’s amazing and others think it’s too expensive or they’re too young (children are currently 8 years old). But it’s an all or nothing where if not everyone or the majority sign up then no-one in this year can have it.

We know a lot of senior schools have a device and that seems to make more sense with various subjects in different class rooms and carrying it all around. It also means paying for one thing and then paying again at senior school (gov really should step in here).

AIBU to not know what to do?
What would mumsnetters do?

@JunipeJuniper Hi, please can you elaborate?
Are you saying you a teacher with devices in the class? And that it is achieving higher results?

@Conkersinautumn I think this is how I feel.

Our PTA recently fundraised and paid for 30 devices including a docking station on wheels that can be transported easily throughout the school. Classes now take turns in using them. Could you suggest this as an alternative?

@C8H10N4O2 Yes I understand we will own the device at the end of the term (not sure we need another device in the house).

And it’s more “this is the way things are going” - engagement and having them ready for a tech world. Starting early etc.

I don’t know if they will delay a year (to year 5) but it might be worth it if they want the parents on board.
I believe they’ve done a lot of research on which device and year is better and have gone with year 4 as best to start. But we as parents haven’t seen that research. Lots of questions are still being asked by parents.

@BreehyHinnyBrinnyHoohyHah Parents have suggested many alternatives and all have been met with a “no” and “we’ve decided this is the best way” although I think they are realising that they need to work with parents more if they want them on board.

I’d be all up for fundraising and having devices just in school they could use. Feels more economical as well.

Based on this and your subsequent "we no best" answers from the school I'd be opposing this. If their pitch is "you have this wonderful device after three years" then bear in mind that a basic chrome book or similar may be out of OS support in that time - they are not designed for long life.

Yes its the case that gamified times tables attract more initial attention than book based but that doesn't translate into "every child must have their own laptop?.

The idea that it will prepare them for work in ten years time is the least compelling. They have seven years of higher education after leaving primary, the interface devices people will use in the workplace in ten years time are unlikely to be that similar to the current generation of basic chrome books.

So push back on something which is frankly discriminatory in favour of support for a model of shared devices as described above. I would not be complying with this - it sounds like someone has done a good sales pitch to the school.

should of course be "we know best" not "we no best". 😵

100% @whataloadoftoshasusual said

My school do this from year 3, but it’s an expensive international school, so money isn’t an issue for the parents. I absolutely HATE it, and there is nothing worse than walking past a classroom where the 8-year old students are sitting, silently like zombies on their iPads. It’s not unusual for 1 hour or more per day to be spent on devices. I understand it gives the classroom teachers a break and allows them to mark, prep etc. (We don’t employ TAs at my school) but it’s not for the benefit of the students.

There is no evidence that introducing devices at this age is beneficial, and I would personally never send my child to a school that required this. The overuse and reliance on devices and laptops is one of the reasons I won’t send my DC to my school.

OP, please push back and demand that the school provide proper (I.e. evidence based) reasons why they are doing this.

And it’s more “this is the way things are going” - engagement and having them ready for a tech world. Starting early etc.

Being able to use a device is quite simple and the bare minimum children need for the future. Schools don't teach tech stuff of actual value, it's a shame (not teachers fault but the gov should provide time and funding for this along with relevant people to teach it).

Our senior school said it's mandatory for year 10 and the laptop is £1,600! And it's not even a MacBook, it's some dell rubbish! The email was sent 2 weeks ago. Must by by September.

A chimpanzee could probably learn how to use a computer in a couple of hours. A human certainly can. The idea that kids need to learn now so they’re prepared for adulthood is ridiculous. They need to demonstrate the benefits now, and that the benefits outweigh the costs and other downsides.

It would depend on the laptop, for me. My kids have their own laptops, and have since they were pretty small. But my work involves writing computer code, and I have loved coding since I was about 6 or 7, mainly because I had access to computers at a very young age (no worries about internet safety in the 80s!). I encourage my kids to learn coding with scratch (which they also do at school), and Minecraft Education edition. Computer use isn't all about spreadsheets and Word. I think exposure to coding at a young age is on a par with exposure to art, science and music. Some people will develop a love for it, and others won't. But learning it requires time and consistency - which means regular access to a computer.

my DC’s school has one for every child (from year 2, I think), but they only use it in school. I think it is a good thing, but I am not being asked to spend £500 on it.
you can get laptops much cheaper…

I don't think they're doing this to facilitate access to coding!

I would not want primary school pupils on laptops (unless for SEN reasons)

It'll be pretty standard in secondary, but I really don't support the arguments for it being done at a younger age

I have 3 grandchildren ( siblings )
What are families who need to buy multiples supposed to do ? This is a huge cost to parents ,bad enough for one child. But more than one ,that's completely unreasonable.

That should have read three grandchildren who would need the laptops .

Similar happened at one of my children’s schools.
From juniors year 3. Parents paid about £10 a month and at the end of year 6 children could keep it. If there was a balance on it children had to hand it back or clear the balance to keep it.
If a parent couldn’t afford to pay or didn’t want one as they had one at home, the child was allocated one to use in school but couldn’t bring it home.

Presumably if the kids are on laptops all the time then the school must save money on books, other learning tools etc.

Why isn't this money saved used to fund laptops ?

Are all these the same laptops, provided by the same "helpful" laptop provider ?

I wouldn't want to buy a device becuase the school dictates. I have a child in Year 7 and they have homework on Teams and Microsoft 365. They were only told they needed something to use the Office suite and Teams. I can buy into that. I just can't buy into the concept I must buy a specific laptop.

DC in year 3 has a laptop to use but it's my old work laptop. She seldom use it but is learning type and write her English homework using Word. At lower KS2, I think it should be a very personal choice.

@gloriawasright one per child. Both DC has apple tablets becuase they get homework on apps from around Reception now. They can obviously share devices with parents. It's possible to share between siblings if you can supervise so they don't both need the device for homework.

Today, DC1 needed to get on Teams for two of her lessons for strike day. You'll need as many devices as needed for them all to go on Teams at the same time.

My grandchildren each use an IPad in class but the school they attend bought a huge amount in bulk and offered them for a very cost effective price. They didn’t make any money on the purchase.

@kalokagathos that's exactly why I'm against buying the school dictated device. It's always rubbish, like those school uniforms.

Actually, @Ihearticecream, is this a state school in England? I have only heard of private schools doing this.

Yes I teach Y4 and we have good access to devices. It's not the only reason they're above the national average, but I have no doubt it has helped.

Look, my own children barely know what a tablet is so I'm not someone who just sticks kids in front of a screen. Please do tell me though, apart from a worksheet how else can I get kids to practise times tables off the cuff, with no faff sorting out resources, for 5 minutes here and there while other children are quietly working. Board games are no good because there might only be one child, or they're learning different tables, and mainly because it needs to be a quiet activity. Learning up to 12x12 is a huge challenge to most 8 year old children and frankly TTRS has proved massively more effective than hands on activities we've done in the past.