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?

It doesn’t matter. It’s across the board here. No opt out.

I’m sorry I’m not here to advise but I’m just so worried about this. My child is only two (this month) but I can’t help but worry what screen time school will call mandatory. I absolutely don’t want him using an iPad, especially not in primary school but this seems really unlikely and I’m dreading it

But he must have used a Chromebook or laptop/desktop computer (neither very common in schools now) in order to access the Computing curriculum if he is in England?

My son is 15, but this wasn't typical at his Infant school and isn't typical of his secondary school either! I work in a First school and yes the children get to use an iPad but as there's only 30 for the entire school, it's not often! Yes, if it's a wet lunch they may watch something on the screen.

My dd is 17 and in her last year of education before university. She started school with an email address and school ipad when she was 5. I’m not in the UK. We are in a wealthy US school district.

It’s interesting to see the anti-tech panic as computers roll out to more schools. An entire generation has already been successfully educated with tech.

I could tell you're in Scotland. We don't have reception, governors, ehcp, etc here it's a completely different education system!

My children have each had a school issued iPad from p5, they're now S1 and S5. I actually really like it, each child gets the same, don't need to worry about paying for the device, repairs, uogrades or compatability issues. They are completely locked down and can only access the council approved education apps. YouTube isn't available on ours at all. Makes homework easier too as it's all in one place and get lost!

Glow is the how every child logs into the system, they will have had a glow account from the day you registered them in school.

I'm not sure why the school would ask you for approval to use apps, it's such a routine part of education now, they school will only use the approved apps too. Things like Sumdog, Reading Eggs.

The apps with making friends, they won't be able just to friend any random person, it will be children in their class and they'll be playing educational games. Hence why they need the code to access it.

There was a backlash against the ebooks for reading at our primary school. But the.head teacher explained that paper books were getting destroyed or never returned and at £600 for just one class set of books, and they need several books at each level reading level the school just couldn't afford enough books to go around so the solution was to switch to ebooks. They still get to visit the library and choose their own personal reading books. The PTA offered to fund raise but it didn't make a dent in what was needed.

I have found it's very teacher dependant too, some use them a lot verging on reliance and some hardly use them at all. You're not going to win this battle, that ship has sailed a long time ago! Your choices are change schools with a placing request (but it might not be any different elsewhere) , go private or home school. You don't get to control this.

Is it in Scotland? I would say not the norm. Def school's choice. Some teachers do get carried away with technology (I am a teacher myself). In my son's school there's some use of tech but to supplement paper and pencil work.

It will be down to each local authority and individual class application but pretty much yes.

The issues OP has raised and the issues emerging are abhorrent. Yet nobody cares, the teachers who object, cannot speak out. The local authorities that have gone down this route have bought into Apple and all that goes with it.

it is the same for my very young children.

I could go on and on. Would you like to know about age 7 year olds being asked to enter into a contract? And sign same? Despite it being illegal to do so?

the entire thing is a nightmare

Glow is the system used throughout their education. In secondary it is common for pupils to submit work on it. Or even email their teacher directly. It's Nationwide.

YouTube without ads would cost about £12 a month and it would be the individual teacher who would pay. If you insert the video into a PowerPoint it sometimes avoids the ads though.

I think it's becoming more and more normal. My 6yr old came home crying about some of the stuff they watch on daily newsround. Wait untill it gets to high-school. All the secondary schools here expect the kids to come to school with their ipads charged and ready to go. Tt rockstars has been quite good for times tables. I hate them putting on youtube for pe seems so lazy. The kids say the teacher doesn't even join in just sits on the benches and leaves them to join in the dancing or yoga. They're "learning" keyboard too on youtube. Phonics also taught from youtube. 9yo said whilst his teacher was looking up a youtube video he accidentally played a video of a man eating.live crickets for a dare. Also he came home telling us about the child that had been thrown in the crocodile enclosure because the teacher had left it up on the screen when it flashed up.
Homework all online as well. It's really really pissing me off.

Are there any out of zones schools that use them less?

There seems to be quite a variety between schools colleagues kids go to as whether the day is tablet heavy or light.

I was just coming back to the thread to say that, I think Norway has as well.

Op, are you in the Scottish Borders by any chance ? The iPad situation here is shambolic bin fire. The council have a commercial partnership with Apple. iPads used from nursery age.l and then daily from p1 (age 4). 1-1 device which children are expected to take home from age 7. No risk assessments, poor web filtering, various media reports of safeguarding incidents caused by these iPads. Very small children having their personal data entered into multiple commercial platforms with no information from the council… YouTube for PE and music lessons. Highly gamified “learning”’apps daily. It’s abysmal. Millions and millions of pounds spent whilst additional needs support is slashed and schools are telling parents that they don’t have money for paper, ink and glue sticks.

Also, if you gave consent for internet use on enrolment you can revoke this. This will put a stop to the web browsing and playing on free gaming websites. Put it in writing that you revoke this consent and it should help a bit.

if your child’s personal information has been entered into multiple commercial “learning” apps then GDPR and ICO are very much your friend here. Happy to share more specific info.

you could also look at Unplug.scot - there is an open letter on their website from Borders parents raising concerns and they have a WhatsApp group with loads of clued up people in. Local councillors in the Borsers are also raising concerns about the iPad scheme, the Director of Public Health at NHS Borders has publicly raised concerns about it… and just this week, and MSP called Duncan Dunlop raised concerns in Holyrood about it. There are lots of people trying to improve things and who could support.

if you aren’t in the Borders I would still look up the unplug.scot group as they have various regional groups as well as a national board.

How about not using youtube, it's not adding anything of value and it only a negative for children.

Sorry how will they get left behind? How long do you think it would take an intelligent child of 8/10 years old to learn to swipe left and right and up and down and jab with their finger. A full ten minutes most I’d say.

make it your business to get on with your children's school. it's many years if there is friction

@BrummieKara I can’t believe YouTube is used for PE. One part of the day where they can get away from screens and run around and interact in normal life and they’re all staring at YouTube for it. Outrageous.

In the Borders there was recently a very serious incident involving primary children having the ability to email external adults. Using email accounts that their parents aren’t even told exist on the iPads.

https://www.scotsman.com/education/safeguarding-fears-as-primary-pupil-emailed-alleged-child-sex-offender-dad-in-classroom-on-school-ipad-8788094

just one example of how poorly thought out and irresponsible it all is.

the council haven’t changed or reviewed anything since though.

Exactly. I've learned over the years you either get on with it or move them. :) Don't be that annoying parent as your children will suffer for it

If the op is in the Borders, she would have to move to a different local authority area to escape it. It’s county wide.