School not allowing BYOT - laptop markups $550+

wasabisauce on 04/03/2015 - 22:16
Last edited 04/03/2015 - 23:01

I have a sibling who has commenced high school this year and they are being encouraged to purchase laptops or tablets. However, the school has recommended a specific list of supported devices, from one particular 3rd party seller. Some schools across Aus which are incorporating technology into learning allow for what is called BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology). This means that students can bring in their own devices as long as they meet certain minimum requirements. His school does not allow this.

My issue is that the 3rd party is charging in excess of $550 on top of the price of the device purchased from the manufacturer (Lenovo) in the exact same model and specifications. I rang the principal to discuss and he said that they wanted the devices to be purchased from this 3rd party for security reasons and that all the devices would come pre-configured with a 3 year Symatec antivirus subscription, microsoft office installed, and 3 years of service warranty. The Symatec subscription normally costs around $140+, and microsoft 365 is free for students. This means that the third party are making potentially nearly $400 from every student purchasing through them.

Whats more is that I had given my brother my ex-business laptop which I had not gotten around to actually using. It was therefore a new laptop and higher specced than the school's recommended models. The school wouldn't allow this either.

What are your thoughts on this? Should I give in and purchase through the third party or should I push the case? Money is not the issue, we can comfortably purchase the laptop. I just don't think it should be compulsory to be giving them $400

Edit:
Supported laptops
http://www.churchlands.wa.edu.au/curriculum/ict/parent-owned…

Same laptop from Lenovo
http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/11e-series/1…

Education & Work

Comments

  • BiotBargin on 04/03/2015 - 22:28
    +4

    they arent making $400. the warrnaty will more likely be on-site and its worth a good 60-90 a year depending on the manufacturer plus the battery warranty is usually additional these days.
    the other issue with pre-configured is that once the 3 years are over they have to provide a recovery image so or the licensed software is removed - again an additional service.
    as for office 365….its free to students whos education departments fork out $$$ to microsoft for licensing…its a case of free* - if they didnt fork out hundreds of thousands a year, you would be paying.
    i have the same problems at the secondary school i work at….cheap acer laptop ended up being about $850 - we hated doing it because of the area being low socio but the cost is the cost at the end of the day. people forget to that when you come running into the school with a problem for help, someone has to pay for that person to.

  • PVA on 04/03/2015 - 22:32
    +16

    buy the school one. the 3 years service is worth it as it covers (talking to friends who had to do this in Qld) drops etc. normal warranty wont. My son has a mac air supplied and it is fully covered by drops etc as well.
    Did they say Office 365 (which may not be free for your school, not all schools participate in this).
    I know it sounds a rip, but its under $200 a year and you are covered and supported.

    • ShamelessBargains on 04/03/2015 - 23:09
      +2

      My old school used MacBooks. By the end of my year the excess went from $250 to $700 since nearly half the grade had problems with them or had completely trashed them. Maybe the Airs are better but laptops in a high school environment is a bad idea. Just encourages people to play games and use their phone behind the screen.

      • scrimshaw on 04/03/2015 - 23:23
        +3

        but laptops in a high school environment is a bad idea. Just encourages people to play games and use their phone behind the screen.

        I don't think this is a issue that will be introduced by having laptops in class. Back in my day, we had GameBoys and PSP's that we'd sneak into school and play under the desk when the teacher wasn't looking. And when iPod touches came around lots of schoolkids had those too…

        It is much harder to steathily play a game on a laptop in class, since the device is much bigger and is placed right on the desk meaning everyone else can see what you're doing.

        Anyway much of the learning content being delivered nowadays are also being pushed online and are cloud based — interactive textbooks are being 'streamed' through a web browser and OneNote being the note-taking tool of choice for many school kids. Cunningly this also means more revenue for textbook sellers, since digital textbooks have DRM lockdown that means you can no longer buy used textbooks…

        • ShamelessBargains on 04/03/2015 - 23:39
          +6

          I beg to differ. Most of my teachers had no clue how to use the software and did not know how to monitor everyone's screens.

          Having the screen right in front of you is so tempting to play a game or do something besides whats actually happening.

          Its harder for the teachers to notice now since most students have the heads down staring at the screen regardless of what they are doing.

          The majority of my friends agreed that the laptops really hindered their performance at high school and resulted in them becoming slacker, reliant on spell check and their hand writing is now horrendous.

          The worst part was that the MacBooks had to be handed back at the end of year 12 for future use… they were 3 years old by then and very slow.

        • wasabisauce on 04/03/2015 - 23:45
          +1

          @ShamelessBargains:

          I used to tutor several high school students and during the session they would spend huge amounts of time scrolling up and down through a pdf trying to find the right page. It was so painful to watch considering they could have just flicked through a book so much quicker.

          And I'd have to totally agree that I bet there are a lot of teachers out there who have no idea how to use the computers competently.

        • 18 on 05/03/2015 - 00:20
          +7

          @wasabisauce:

          Control + F

        • PVA on 05/03/2015 - 08:29
          +1

          @18:
          Not so simple when you kinda know what you want, not sure of the term but remember where in the book it is, you can get to it really quick. Pdf book doesn't work like that as you don't have a feel for it.

        • PVA on 05/03/2015 - 08:37
          +2

          It's a big issue with kids not staying on track and it's so easy to be browsing instead of working. I know, that is my son to a tee.
          Teachers say a lot of kids are like that and very early on learn to swap screens as the teacher comes up. Teacher knows they are not doing the work. It is much easier than sneaking a psd or phone use as most of the time they are meant to be on a computer. My son has zero books, they are all on the computer, all classes, even sports has lessons that you have to have a computer.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/03/2015 - 09:04
          +4

          @PVA:

          laptops and tablets are the scourge on education and schools. Handwriting alone has been shown to prove better retention of material learnt.

        • PVA on 05/03/2015 - 12:26

          @nerangsta: I agree with you there. Info on a screen just doesn't sink in compared to writing notes and info in books, for school that is. Some kids are fine. Also struggle.
          People have this thought that if it's computer based then it must be better, high tech surely is better than low tech.

        • spersephone on 05/03/2015 - 14:40
          +2

          In my teaching rounds last year, I had huge problems with kids playing games or watching YouTube instead of doing the work on their laptops! It's an enormous problem. The motivated kids won't do it, but the others….

        • goraygo on 06/03/2015 - 20:17

          @PVA:

          Look these terms up and you will understand what worked for you won't work for the kids theses days.

          You are "digital migrant", you are more keen to learn from paper and pens.

          The kids are bought up with computers and tablets, they are "digital natives", they learn from whatever contents available on screen or off screens.

          Think about their future, which office work place not relying on screens more than paper? They need it and it's important.

        • PVA on 07/03/2015 - 16:02

          @goraygo:
          I understand that and was thinking the same when posting but kids still have trouble staying on track. An online computer can easily sway kids from task.
          Reading a pdf, I'll just look at a bid for a second….. Oops lessons over.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/03/2015 - 18:39
          +2

          @goraygo:

          I grew up around computers and programming. Learnt BASIC at 8 years old on a commodore 64 and on XT's before that. My computer science lecturer wouldn't allow laptops in his lecture. I tutor kids today that can't even do basic research from a set text because they plug the question into google verbatim. 'Digital native' and 'migrant' sounds like public relations terminology to appease and convince the wary. During my degree I was the only one that didn't have an over-specced MacBook in front of me but a decent fountain pen and paper. Sticking a computer infront of a kid is not going to turn them into a tech-genius…but a lazy kid with quick access to answers.

          Reading and writing on learning retention is not my own observation. They're observations from clinical studies monitoring the youth today. I'm only 28…and will never have a school dictate that I need this crap.

    • rxjb on 05/03/2015 - 09:14
      +1

      +1 When I was in school, my parents opted for a private, higher spec model. While it was a nice machine and faster, it was frustrating that the school would not fix any issues. Quite often, I was without the computer for days while it was being repaired.

    • cupcake on 05/03/2015 - 10:30
      +2

      I agree with PVA. Just get the one the school recommends. It's worth it. My daughter is in high and she has taken her supplied laptop - a macbook to their IT guys many, many times!

      They've replaced her screen, replaced her computer covers, given new chargers, re-formatted her computer and serviced her laptop all year round. It includes everything and you won't have to do anything yourself if you have issues with the laptop. Kids these days have to be online at school and they are always online at home so it means they are always using their laptop. Plus, it is being carried back and forth so something is going to go wrong!

  • Kevan2 on 04/03/2015 - 22:43

    I would assume there is some type of nanny programe to prevent viewing of not preferred sites and also torrent collections.

    • PVA on 05/03/2015 - 12:29

      Sites are blocked at school (Facebook etc) via their network/ wifi access. At home no restrictions on the laptop itself.

      • Geekomatic on 06/03/2015 - 12:35

        That's what they said at my daughter's school— except the kids run behind a proxy that one, smarter-than-the-staff student set up…lol.

        I say— if you're resorting to a "nanny" program, you're already in over your head & the kids in question will bypass it easily.

        If some students screw around & fail- then they ought to be held back. Trying to censor everything only hurts the ones who are doing the right thing.

        Imho

        • PVA on 06/03/2015 - 18:57

          I was answering someone else, I wasnt the one wanting a Nanny software installed.

        • Kevan2 on 07/03/2015 - 00:24

          You are right - Geekomatic, it is education and not restrictions that work.

          Ofcourse the one who pays has the right to know what it is used for. At least thats what my boss says.

  • Davo1111 on 04/03/2015 - 23:00
    +5

    Do they provide an IT department with hardware fixes? IF yes, $400 is fair

  • Randxyz123 on 04/03/2015 - 23:03

    3 years warranty would be about $250 , you could definitely argue that office is free though - this is a recent thing and the third party might not have updated their prices. It will also probably include a tracking chip and remote access so someone can login and lock the computer if it is lost or stolen or track it. If there is a onsite IT department and they have quick turn around service, that is they will have parts and everything in stock so they can fix almost anything on the spot or within hours you are also paying for that.

    I'd just give in. I can kinda see where they are coming from - all computers are the same spec so prevents theft of someone's $3000 gaming laptop if they have a $500 POS by comparison from Aldi (JUST AN EXAMPLE), they all have the same software so everyone can read and open everything. I agree $550 is ridiculous however but there isn't a lot you can probably do about it unfortunately. I suspect it is a 'condition' of enrolment in his school.

  • conan2000 on 04/03/2015 - 23:03
    +1

    Your first sentence says they are being "encouraged to purchase laptops or tablets" but the rest of the post suggests they have to get one? Is there a better option than paying the large premium for the Lenovo laptop? I.e. are the tablet devices only a $100 premium (or other laptop for that matter).

    If you have contents insurance then that may cover the drops etc. mentioned above as well.

    • wasabisauce on 04/03/2015 - 23:09

      By encourage I am giving the school the benefit of the doubt. This is from their website:

      "Please be aware only these devices will be connected to the school network and the school does not offer a BYOT model"

      That said, I contacted IT today and they did say there have been some exceptions where students have been able to bring in different laptops.

      • Davo1111 on 05/03/2015 - 00:16
        +1

        Keep in mind they'll probably want a windows pro copy so they can get in on the network. You'll need to budget that in.

  • wasabisauce on 04/03/2015 - 23:07
    +4

    AFAIK, the school will handle IT issues and hardware issues are sent to the 3rd party supplier.

    Essentially they are making the technical support and warranty a compulsory charge though and therein lies my issue. I am confident that I would be able to troubleshoot any problems he may have, and also at $400-550 difference if the device breaks I could almost replace it with a new one. No doubt in three years time I could also replace it with a better model.

    Not to overlook the 1 year manufacturer warranty from lenovo either.

    This is like buying a new TV, phone, or any other electrical device and being told you HAVE to purchase the extended warranty. Sure some people want the reassurance but not everyone wants it - it should be opt-in.

    • BiotBargin on 05/03/2015 - 08:16
      +4

      1 year manufacturer warranty from lenovo is not on site..very big difference.
      The extended warrnarty is there for your own good - what happens when you send it back to Lenovo and are waiting 4 weeks for it to return ? Whats your child going to do in the mean time while everyone else continues with there learning ? Are you going to expect the school to supply your with a loan computer ?

    • PVA on 05/03/2015 - 08:32
      +2

      With my son if the device fails they hand another over then and there while it gets fixed. In your case that won't happen because you want to do the fix.

  • BobD on 05/03/2015 - 07:29

    Make sure that what is being supplied is up to date. My experience (VIC country) was that they wanted to supply older Lenovos that could no longer be bought at retail. They obviously had a load of them sitting in the warehouse and unloading them to the school was an easy touch. The principal was unaware about this. The school was also getting a kickback for every PC bought. This was several years back. Things may be different now.

    • PVA on 05/03/2015 - 12:32

      There maybe a kickback. I guess that's better than increasing the school fees to make up for it. Or the school not being able to afford something without it.

  • thefreelunch on 05/03/2015 - 08:34
    +2

    That's my question too: is the school getting a kickback? Is there some other commercial relationship? If so, that conflict of interest would undermine their argument. It's a lot of extra money.

  • veej on 05/03/2015 - 08:46
    +1

    As someone who fixes a lot of laptops for schools the questions I would be asking are…

    Is the hardware warranty accidental damage warranty or just extended warranty on hardware failure? Kids are extremely rough on laptops, especially when they aren't the ones paying for them. I would think the excess amount is good value if this is including accidental damage (kids are expert laptop ruiners), if it doesn't include accidental damage what does this excess amount actually get you? Does the 3rd party repair laptops or do they farm the jobs off to someone else for free under warranty claim?

    Does this 3 year warranty include battery replacement? Batteries generally tend to get 1 year warranties unless it is specified as included, by the time 3 years are up the batteries are worn out. Are chargers covered in the 3 year warranty? What kind of fee can I expect if the charger gets lost/stolen/damaged?

  • tonyjzx on 05/03/2015 - 21:23
    +4

    Lenovo 11e
    4 GB RAM 11.6” HD LED (1366x768) Antiglare screen Celeron® N2920 Processor 128 GB SSD Drive
    Built for education
    Cost $1256.15

    lol

    seriously??

    thats mind blowingly expensive for a 9w piece of crap cpu

    • Agret on 10/03/2015 - 09:23

      I bought 28 of these just recently for my school (I'm the tech) and they were 670 each ex gst. The CPU is pretty poor but the SSD makes up the performance and the form factor is great.

  • jennkei on 05/03/2015 - 22:23

    I think it's a bit ridiculous that they're forcing you guys to buy from a third party. :/ (Though you first say 'recommend', then you say they won't allow your laptop..) In the end, though, it depends on whether the kid is accident-prone/likely to need repairs.

    In your situation, I would much rather let my sibling use my old laptop (higher-specced!).

    • wasabisauce on 06/03/2015 - 00:09
      +1

      I guess I should have worded it properly. Basically the school integrates laptops into their teaching, and the only laptops they allow are those purchased from the third party - so really they are making us buy them.

      I have decided to just buy it from lenovo direct and have a word to the principal to see if we can have an exemption. I won't be paying that exorbitant price for an average laptop.

      • xsacha on 06/03/2015 - 12:24
        +2

        You can get much cheaper than Lenovo direct. Also, Lenovo often has sales on their website (20-30% or so).

        They also have 35% off for Education:
        http://shopap.lenovo.com/students/au/en/education/?cid=au:affiliate:nf9a5V|44723&ef_id=U8gXyAAABHp4kusz:20150306012434:d

  • whirlpool_guy on 06/03/2015 - 09:44
    +2

    Good luck OP. Hope you're not getting one of those Superfish Lenovo's.

  • xyron on 06/03/2015 - 10:46
    +1

    I remember this being a massive point of consternation with my sister a number of years ago (she was part of the first generation that used laptops in classes on an ongoing basis at her school). We ended up forking out the $3000+ (!!!) for some outdated 4:3 aspect ratio Toshiba Tecra laptop that was in a truly sorry state by the end of her schooling. She ended up going to another school for years 11 and 12 (one of those specialist matriculation schools) and we got her a $599 Lenovo laptop from Big W which was lighter, smaller and much more powerful (the benefit of progress I guess).

    In your case, where the difference is only a few hundred dollars, I say just get it through the school - if only to be able to access all the School's tech support staff without any hindrances.

  • apu on 06/03/2015 - 13:47

    This is called third line forcing.

    • 2shoes on 06/03/2015 - 16:41
      +2

      Gee, that's calling it harshly.

      The school is selling a package: laptop, hardware support, pre-installed & configured software. There's only 1 supplier selling all 3 together.
      The OP doesn't value the package, that's all.

      It'll probably mean that the teachers and school IT technician commit more time and cost to supporting his sibling's laptop .. but hey, that's not the OPs problem is it?

      To the OP- If money isn't the issue. Why are you trying to make life difficult for the people educating your family??

      • tikei on 06/03/2015 - 19:43

        It'll probably mean that the teachers and school IT technician commit more time and cost to supporting his sibling's laptop .. but hey, that's not the OPs problem is it?

        Why would the school commit more time and cost to support the sibling's laptop? I would guess that they won't fix it or they charge a fee.

        • tonyjzx on 08/03/2015 - 23:16

          i have a hard time with the fact that this school has appointed one support vendor

          was it tendered or was it 'gifted' to the principal's relatives?

          at these prices you could buy TWO Lenovo 11e laptops and still be out ahead, even if the kid smashes the first… you'd STILL be starting again with a new laptop and not one thats been repaired…

          yeah this is 3rd line forcing and its even worse than the way apple work… at least apple arent forcing you into their support contract

        • wasabisauce on 09/03/2015 - 01:10

          @tonyjzx:

          @2shoes I agree with @tonyjzx comment.

          I don't value the package because it doesn't represent good value, and furthermore the school is pushing it as the only option because they haven't developed the technology to keep up to a higher standard (i.e. BYOD).

          I've raised this issue with the principal - hopefully he can see why it is a better alternative to what is happening at the moment.

        • tonyjzx on 09/03/2015 - 17:27
          +1

          @wasabisauce:

          you wont get much sympathy around here even though this is an OZBARGAIN site

          apparently kids education is a 'free for all' to spend as much money as you like

          thing is 90% of us here ARENT IT people so they got no idea what they're on about

          and then you have IT people here who have vested interest to get people to pay as much as possible for their services

          Look, for non IT people, the above system is fine if a bit expensive

          for people who look critically at it, it has flaws

          even more galling is that this is supposed to be a PUBLIC school where things are open for all and inclusive, not exclusive

          if it was a private, school i wouldnt care as much but this scheme reeks and i'm disappointed people here are so caught up in a "think of the children" mentality…

          this is by defintion 3rd line forcing:

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_line_forcing

          and yet people here seem to not mind. Puzzling.

  • nahi11 on 06/03/2015 - 20:26

    At the end of the day I'm sure a school can't force you to purchase a specific laptop. You just have to persist enough.

    edit: Read through the schools policy "only these devices will be connected to the school network"
    Very strange for a public school…

  • goraygo on 06/03/2015 - 20:29
    +3

    Seriously, my kid's school does BYOD iPads and you are on your own. That's better. That don't care what iPad you bring, just as long as the current apple supported models will do.

    They give you recommendation to buy newer but new latest models and protective gears. If it's broken, you wear the cost and issue. You can buy insurance etc.

    I think that's heaps better than your kid's school.

    I would suggest just pay it. Your kid won't be picked on for having something different. That's important.

    • JimmyF on 06/03/2015 - 21:41
      +1

      "If it's broken, you wear the cost and issue"

      You think thats heaps better than paying a bit extra to get all support/hw/sw/drops fixed on the spot at the school?

      Umm ok

    • [Deactivated] on 07/03/2015 - 19:07
      +3

      Your kid won't be picked on for having something different. That's important.

      What a strange thing to say or believe in as a parent.

  • xfiledavid on 07/03/2015 - 06:51

    i couldn't believe a friend of mine, single mum with 3 kids, was told that she had to buy a specified laptop for her daughters at school through JB Hi-fi.

    i do think its beneficial that everyone uses the same machine for numerous of reasons.
    BUT surely if they are locked in to a single supplier and model that they should be getting an excellent deal. not having to fork out over $1000 each.

  • outlander on 07/03/2015 - 18:53
    +1

    Just do it. Amount of times I remember being told I 'had' to have something, then in class it was a story of who cares. Its only a problem if someone with authority brings it up. In that case, you just make up a story (my parents are short on money at the moment) and say your working on fixing it, you just need some time. Of course you never do, but retty soon they forget about you and move on to some other petty issue. Much easier to bend like the grass, than root yourself down like the oak.

  • mrmarkau67 on 07/03/2015 - 23:52
    -1

    That would make my blood boil. The school shouldn't be relying on a particular image to ensure that its network is secure - especially if the laptops are still administered by the parents and can take USB sticks and so on.

    Basically you are paying an extra $400 to cover for lack of savvy in the school's IT department. And that's at Lenovo's inflated list price. I paid $800 less for a better laptop for my daughter going into year 7 in a BYOD device school.

    Fight it, and mention "perception of conflict of interest".

  • wasabisauce on 09/03/2015 - 01:04
    +1

    Thanks guys. I ended up contacting the principal of the school. Their reasoning was that it would be ideal to have all the students use a limited number of models so that the teachers could deal with any issues that arose. He also mentioned that one student tried to install software from a foreign source bought the "half the network system down" so they really wanted a homogenous system.

    I didn't want to bother arguing. Honestly to me this sounds like people who don't know how to use technology trying to run a network. When I went to university thousands of students connected to the network on whatever device they wanted, all at the same time, without any issues.

    The school is also trialling BYOD next semester where 100 students will be able to bring in their own laptops so he mentioned I could hold off until then. In the end he did approve me buying the same model laptop direct from the lenovo website.

    This ended up costing me around $730. Thats nearly half the 3rd party's price at $1371. If the laptop breaks in the next two or three years (which, knowing children, is likely) I'll just buy another one. I'm confident the price difference then could buy me an even better laptop.

    • scrimshaw on 09/03/2015 - 13:52
      +1

      Honestly to me this sounds like people who don't know how to use technology trying to run a network.

      BYOD is pretty difficult for a school to implement. They'd have to consider whether the devices can be trusted and allowed full or partial network access (say for example, how do you differentiate what is a students device versus a teacher's device, and what network permissions they have)
      What programs are rolled out to the devices (e.g students and teachers have different sets of licenses)
      How do you roll out security patches to different devices at once, what about mobile?
      BYOD does take time (and loads of money) to implement so I'm not surprised if even a private school is relunctant to allow BYOD without extensive trialling and testing.

      • mrmarkau67 on 09/03/2015 - 17:03

        You'll see more BYOD as the school takes a more student centred approach to learning.

        I'm involved with 2 schools (one private, one public, one secondary and one primary), and they both do BYOD to a greater or lesser degree.

        On the student/parent/guest side, no devices are trusted. Interaction between staff and parents/students occurs "in the cloud" (Google Apps, Edmodo, email etc), where its someone else's problem to worry about security. Staff have their own network with a Windows Domain or two and its kept very separate from students and parents.

        Here's the guidelines: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/technology/computers/mob…

        More reading materials here: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/technology/computers/mob…

        I can't imagine actually managing student laptops to the point they can be trusted in any real sense. Wouldn't you need to ban thumbdrives? Take away admin rights? Manage all software licensing? Forbid access to "untrusted" networks? What a nightmare.

      • jennkei on 10/03/2015 - 01:29

        Like wasabisauce mentioned, this hasn't been a problem at universities. Limit access based on logins. Of course, that does have to be implemented.

        Programs — no programs for anyone! Only for school devices. (Desktops etc.) Security patches, update it yourself. ^^" All depends on how much you want to control things.

    • mrmarkau67 on 09/03/2015 - 17:14

      You may want to share your experience at the next P&C meeting so that other parents can benefit.

      • tonyjzx on 09/03/2015 - 17:39

        i'm gonna go with the fact that most P&Cs are of the majority and just pay and things will be ok

        pays to not be the revolutionary

        • wasabisauce on 10/03/2015 - 02:26

          Wouldn't be surprised if most the p&c didn't know how to use computers properly though…

        • mrmarkau67 on 10/03/2015 - 09:08

          @wasabisauce:

          Most P&C would know the difference between $699 and $1399.

        • tonyjzx on 10/03/2015 - 21:18

          @mrmarkau67:

          you pull that $699 figure as if it means something to someone outside of this forum

  • badonde on 10/03/2015 - 09:44

    My first job about 7-8 years ago was pioneering a laptop scheme at a high school - there was a big learning curve for the school and the staff. The machines were about 1000GBP but were pretty high spec and because the school bought them all there were good volume discounts included. Kids that were on welfare got them for free.

    I had the same reaction as you when I started, the prices ARE much higher and it seemed crazy.

    However the warranty that schools get (for us it was 3 years accidental damage next business day replacement) is worth it when you consider that these devices are being used by CHILDREN!

    The school needs to make sure that all students have 100% uptime with the machines to make sure they don't fall behind if the curriculum depends on it.

    Sure, you are a responsible parent who would fix the issues with the laptop / repair the screen immediately - however there may be others who refuse to pay for this / leave their child without this tool for extended periods.

    Some kids never broke theirs, only had to reimage countless times due to viruses.
    Others broke the screen 3 times in a year, therefore making the warranty worthwhile.

    If you strongly object it might be worth speaking to the head teacher and signing a form to say that if anything goes wrong with the laptop you provide, you promise to fix it within a few days. They might agree to that.

    You must also have the antivirus required for their network..

    In the end, it would probably be easier and cheaper to just get the machines they provide with warranty and all, for a more stress free ( for your child also ) educational career!

    PS I think the BYOD scheme is much better and more forward thinking! But you can't tell your school what to do as they already have this plan in their heads ;)

    • mrmarkau67 on 10/03/2015 - 21:37

      However the warranty that schools get (for us it was 3 years accidental damage next business day replacement) is worth it when you consider that these devices are being used by CHILDREN!

      That would be a great point, except that insurance isn't included.

      "We recommend you consider options around insuring your device against theft, accidental damage or loss as these are not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. For example, you may wish to investigate placing it on your home insurance as a named item."

  • badonde on 10/03/2015 - 22:10
    +1

    Well, then that's a total waste of time!

  • spersephone on 11/03/2015 - 12:13

    Also on my teaching rounds, the majority of an entire year level were without their laptops for weeks due to a recall, and not enough replacement ones available. That's poor management of the scheme. As a parent, I'd have been furious! It caused a lot of problems as their textbooks were all integrated in the system, and online.

  • sickllama on 11/03/2015 - 19:19
    +1

    Call their bluff. Tell them you don't have the cash and it's either the laptop you've already bought or they can find the funding to give your child the laptop the school requires.

    If they act surprised, tell them that they are discriminating on the basis of your child's socioeconomic background and you'll tell anyone who will listen (e.g. Local newspapers, politicans, ACA / today tonight etc.)

    Schools can be so bloody ignorant when they come up with crap like this. Policies like these instill intergenerational poverty.

    • tonyjzx on 13/03/2015 - 14:16

      again, i have no problems with this scheme in a private school

      in a public school its deplorable

      • sickllama on 13/03/2015 - 19:25

        Completely agree.

  • Daedalus on 29/04/2015 - 00:32

    Buy it from lenovo, create an image of the windows partition from the this party one, image onto your lenovo one. How will the school know?

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