To be sick of school directly undermining me

[LainaDelBoy]

I’m at my wits end and really need some external perspective from people outside my local school/council area. (I moved to another part of the UK to raise my children, so this is not the school system I went through myself and isn't an area where there's much school choice - if you're not happy, you pay to go private it seems).

Since starting school at five, DD has routinely used a school-issued iPad (no one told me this would happen). I gradually discovered, mainly through what she told me rather than information from the school, that she had been signed up to all sorts of platforms and apps without me knowing/us being asked to approve.

It seems she has watched YouTube during lessons (I've regularly heard they've done PE on YouTube/"music" I've learned is often a sing along Disney song with the words at the bottom? etc) and come home talking about things seen in adverts. Some of the apps have coins, rewards and "friend" features which was a lovely (!!) sudden introduction to class bullying to deal with. and she's been using AI tools on the thing, but school haven't ever told me what it is/why/and I still don’t know what that tool was.

This week, another mum has just confirmed that the school ipads DO also all have email addresses through which they could message one another (although kids like mine age 5 aren't told the passwords for a couple of years yet - thankfully apaprently).

and tonight she's just come home talking about reading a book at school, only for a few questions later for it to bcome clear that it's not a BOOK book, it's another bloody ebook they scroll through on the ipad.

Stepping back a bit: I feel as though the school and council have taken away my ability to manage how much screen time my DD gets, while telling me I have "no legal right to opt out" of so much screentime at school when I asked about toning it down last year (I didn't ask for specifics, I just asked about the messaging stuff, and how much time they were on the iPad for typically).

We game a lot as a family (consoles/etc so i'm not anti-screens generally), but i just feel like there's a constant barrage of poorly done apps, videos and AI without clear limits or safeguards in her classrom. I don't know if it's like this in all schools.

In the UK, would you consider this "normal" or acceptable? Have other parents successfully asked for reduced digital screen learning/alternatives? AIBU to keep challenging it (the council are quite adament that their policy has zero flex)?

I don't know where to go from here and i don't want to be "that parent" but there are so many red flags here but i don't know if to keep pushing on it?

Is it worth talking to other parents and the governors? My school had tablets for every child for a while and what felt like overuse/ over reliance on them but changed when parents complained via governors (and as the tablets started breaking). They now have 2 class sets that come out occasionally.

I would choose your battles - Reading an ebook rather than a paperback seems fine to me, for example.

AI and YouTube and social apps and all of that nonsense? I'd be very surprised if you're the only parent taking issue with this!

My (junior age) class never do more than an hour a day on a Chromebook, including days with computing lessons, and often do no more than 25 minutes. Many days it's nothing. Most English primaries cannot afford a device per child or even between two so they'd never be on them all day. We use proper books but these are expensive to replace when they (frequently) aren't returned to school. Teaching PE with YouTube is just rubbish unless the hall is out of action or something. MNers get het up about YouTube adverts but you just skip them and no we can't afford the subscription at £13 a month as above.

I don't, however, tell parents what apps I've 'signed their child up for' as you put it, any more than I tell them exactly what worksheet we're doing or whatever. I would tell them if they asked but I don't feel any need to inform them if we use a new website or app.

Ours have maths and English apps, their homework is on them too.

They tend to do a YouTube movement break for 5 minutes when the class are wriggly and they don't have access to the daily mile outside

It doesn't bother me, I'd rather they learn safe use of tech in a controlled environment than what happens to too many and they have a very naive and sudden introduction when much older.

Most primaries do computing lessons so there is some screen time there.

physical books are very expensive and yes many primaries now use ebooks. Homework on apps is also fairly standard - mathletics, timetables practice, etc.

Our school don't give children ipads (I avoided the school that boasted they had an iPad per child for this reason. However, in Reception I was really unhappy with the amount of TV they watched. And it wasn't alphablocks - they watched 30 mins of Disney films after lunch to "calm down" every day! Plus other stuff like Danny Go.

So far in the first week of Year 1 they've watched 30 mins of TV in total, as a treat, which I still think isn't necessary, but much better than last year. Fingers crossed.

I have no suggestions for you other than try another school, but I absolutely wouldn't be happy about it either. Good luck.

I would hate this too.

I don't think I'd frame it as undermining you. Its not personal.

I'd choose a different school if I could. If not I'd opt them out of iPad loans / iPad homework / e books, and support their learning at home with proper books / worksheets.

I would be very uncomfortable with this.
I understand that it’s probably the way things are going but they should be making an effort to make sure handwriting skills are maintained and PE lessons on iPads is crazy.
Is there a Montessori or similar nearby? Is that an option ?

I got quite the shock when my DD started secondary school last year.

not a single textbook to cover, not one exercise book carried around in their bag.

all homework done online, including reading!

At least at primary it seems to be a mix and match of physical/ebooks.

Sounds like you havent had a conversation with school though? Maybe just call thexl school and raise your concerns. They will then clarify stuff which may put your mind at rest. If you dont like it i guess research other schools which align with your wishes and move her. I think AI is marching at speed and everyone, children included, need to embrace it. Because the reality is everything eventually will be computer based with no need for pen, paper or physical books.

It certainly wasn’t like that when my kids were at the local primary school 10 years ago, and from what I know of the head teacher, I doubt it’s like that now. Yes they did some things on screens - I remember a times tables practice app - but that was the exception.

All that screen time at school is terrible for their eyes. I remember my optician telling me that kids were suffering more visual problems than they side to, due to being close to screens so much. And these problems are permanent.

I’d be looking at other schools.

I’d be interested to see that if you have a link?

I agree with you op. I even think that having interactive whiteboards and children looking at them all day is bad for their health. (Teacher for 25 years) but I don’t know if we are going to stop this truck for all sorts of resource reasons.

Thing is. often if you have to give 30 children a piece of paper or some paper to work from it’s the paper and printing costs. Then cost of glue and books to stick work in.

It’s a valid way of working but if they can get the same form an app and the teacher gets the data straightaway to tell them what to work on and what’s achieved I think it’s a valuable tool.

I doubt it’s all day everyday on iPads. I wouldn’t be happy if it was.

But I do think they have a place and will have a place in education moving forward.

PE will be a song they have to copy actions to. That’s will be a target. As long as it’s alongside actual ball skills etc (which can’t be done on an iPad) again I wouldn’t have a problem.

again reading a book - if they are reading I wouldn’t care if it’s an actual book or e book. I expect cost again comes into it.

School should have a policy on computer use though that they adhering too.

School can’t preach to parents about screen free childhoods and limiting screen time and all the adverse effects of it, while at the same time excessively using screens because it’s easier and cheaper.

primary school children should absolutely not have the ability to message each other. We had an incident where one of the apps in school allowed kids to message eachother. One kid, using another child's login (it was a laptop and was left logged in)b sent some really vile messages to other children.

They should not be exposed to advertising.

But educational apps are really helpful if used well. In my view constructive, interactive, educational screen time is very different from mindless scrolling and algorithm driven provision of content. But you are right to ask the question

Our school is very anti screen time and our head is very vocal about it too, so DS has yet to have any screen time in any form at school.

This. I wouldn't go in "all guns blazing" but would find out exactly what they are doing on screens, for how long, and what their policies are, how locked down they are etc. See if other parents have concerns also, and raise any concerns with the school/governors.

Many schools have to use ebooks as cheaper than actual books, can't get destroyed, lost etc

My DD is in Y6 at a c of E school, they don’t use iPads or laptops unless it’s in ICT lessons

No devices are allowed at all in our Year R classroom, apart from the whiteboard . It’s all songs, toys, free flow. Occasional Number Jack type of thing on the board. Year 1- Year 3 are very similar but some start to use laptops for touch-typing where there is a need. Our Year 7s all get a Chromebook and type most of their longer pieces of writing. Things like YouTube are not allowed.

I teach Reception and don’t do this. I only send home photocopied phonic books. We don’t watch anything and the only time I have the screen on is for slides in maths, and if I’ve got a physical resource, I’ll use that instead. I can’t stand YouTube nursery rhymes, so lazy. It’s my job to model how to learn without tech and only use it when it genuinely enhances the children’s’ learning.

No this isn't normal. Y2 DS's Infant School rarely uses their iPads, he hasn't touched one yet this term. They do use an interactive whiteboard and sometimes use YouTube dance videos as movement breaks but not as PE. Books are paper. They occasionally watch an age appropriate cartoon if it's raining at lunch.

Not typical ime. The occasional YouTube singalong at the end of a term or a rainy playtime, a settle down after lunch numberblock for Reception whilst they have a drink and take off coats and some tt rockstars all fine - that amounts to very little screen time in a day and I wouldn’t be happy either.

Indeed and that is from primary level to university.