To refuse to sign form for DD to have a school iPad?

[user63214]

Last year DD (8) school introduced iPads which they all brought home to complete homework/ use Apps. On a number of occasions DD dropped it accidentally, forgot where is was or to charge it.
For this year they have just sent out forms saying children will receive their iPads once we have signed the form acceptability liability for any damage/loss etc. AIBU? If school decide they want to use iPads they need to accept some may be damaged. Also unsure what happens if the damage happens on school property.

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I refused to sign for one. We had to accept responsibility for any damage at any time and I wasn't prepared to do so for the hours my child was in school and not even under my supervision. Iirc it also said we may have to contribute if anything went wrong technically - errr, nope!

Absurd responses from PPs who say that an eight year old should be responsible enough to look after an iPad. I can only assume that they have never once accidentally broken something in their lives since they were eight? Of course you'd hope that most eight year olds would try their best to be careful, but inevitably accidents will happen and the expense of replacing an iPad would be devastating to many family budgets.

And eight year olds should be spending less bloody time on screens, it's infuriating that schools are encouraging it.

We are in Scotland my son has had a chrome book for years from school and never had an issue of it being dropped or broken.. my son is high school now 3rd year but had one in primary school too and my daughter is in P7 (last year of primary. School) and has had one for a few years now. School have now sent out a letter saying they understand things break and not to worry bring it to the tech team and they will sort it out.

I would ask the school about insurance, if tou can get your own insurance or cover it with your gadget insurance.
Also, if your child is prone to breaking them,

1. Only use it for school work at the table then put it away
2. Order some screen glass protectors
3. Order the big rubber foamy cases for kids

My DC aren't allowed their own tablets.

I'd explain to school that we'd provide access to the family pc (which we have full control over to ensure it has age appropriate limits and restrictions) and decline the ipad. Its not necessary for 8 year olds to have ipads or any tablets.

8 is a ridiculous age, you’ll be following about ready to catch😅😅😅

Yanbu. I wouldn’t want my dc to have their own ipad for a start and I wouldn’t want her to have to have the responsibility of looking after an iPad.

That's fair enough OP. The school don't get to push hundreds of pounds of risk onto you like that without you agreeing it's a good idea.

I wouldn’t want my child doing homework on computer screens. That’s why I would not sign.

No way would I be signing the form either.

Would be a nope here too. My iPad screen failed, I was in no way careless, it just suddenly developed random lines. It would be easy to blame an 8yr old and charge the parents. Plus no 8yr old needs an iPad, primary schools need to work on their boundaries with this type of thing, screen use is a parental decision.

You are the parent; you are responsible for your child and hence your child’s school iPad.

*You make sure it is charged over night
*You buy a suitably robust case for it so it does not get damaged.

This one is on you.

I'd refuse them to have an iPad because it's not the schools decision whether my kid uses a screen at home. Homework at 8yo is ridiculous anyway, making it mandatory on screens is an overreach.

I wouldn’t and I’d let them know why. I imagine you won’t be the only one.

My son was given a Chromebook when he started year seven in 2016, but they were all insured under the agreement between the school and the provider.

I certainly wouldn't have signed anything that made me financially responsible for loss or breakage. As for the poster who said they were expected to contribute if there were technical difficulties, I have no words! What an incredibly unreasonable expectation on the school's part.

In your position I would definitely refuse to sign. You won't be the only one.

Yes because absolutely every family in the country has a "family computer" 🙄

Why are someschools pushing everything on tech. I understand the need for chikdren to learn about it and use it but surely they should still be developing physical writing skills at that age. We are going to have a generation that canst put pen to paper and only type on a keyboard with their finger

Nevermind the increase in eye problems due to over use of screens. I wouldn’t be signing it either.

The cases my DD’s schools are insanely sturdy. The devices are also essential. If you deny your child access, they are going to have problems accessing the curriculum at some schools.

it does not always work to use another device. Some of the licensing is restricted to the school devices.

When this happens at my kids! school, all the parents refused as nobody wanted their young children having their own tablet and did not want the school taking this decision out of their hands. The school backed down and all homework was done in the conventional way. Children don’t need an iPad for homework, they really don’t.

Yanbu, I wouldn't sign either, both because I wouldn't want financial responsibility for accidents, and because I wouldn't want my child doing homework on a screen (or work at school much either)

Yep, in primary I’d be wanting to take this approach. We do the absolute minimum of tech based homework, only a small amount of My Maths, which isn’t gamified like some of the others. The rest we do paper based alternatives. Over my dead body would they give mine their own device at 8.

The tech companies are pushing Ed Tech on to governments/counciks/ schools and they are blindly following it without any evidence it’s any good for learning/children (clue - it’s not). Tech companies get all the money, plus customers for life (our kids, stuck on screens).

My 14 year old got his wet as he was using it while washing his hands. A very expensive mistake…
No I wouldn’t sign responsibility for an 8 year old to transport . Recipe for disaster.

I completely agree. All of the evidence suggests this is bad for developing brains. Our school recently moved all homework online and we have refused to do it. Our kids have CGP books instead. Lots of other parents have also refused to do it.

I recommend having a look at safescreens.org

No. This is a scheme whereby Apple get young kids folded into the apple ecosystem in order to profit from them for life. Ask the school who have gone for this why they think Apple are doing it: are they kind benefactors? Remind them that the kids of big tech execs dont get access to tech, typically. Farming our kids for profit. Nope.

Im disappointed our teachers dont have the critical thinking to see through this.