1-1 Device Program
Our 1-1 Device Program is well underway. Any student from Year 4 to 6 who would like to obtain a device during the year can now purchase one via our Learning With Technologies current student portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if we don’t buy a 1-1 device?
Students are provided spare computers to use in the classroom, during class time. These devices cannot be brought home. Usually, students will always have access to a device in the classroom. However, if we end up with many students who don’t take part in the 1-1 program, or if we have lots of devices needing repair at the same time, the student may need to share a device. In these cases, we aim to provide a device between every four students who need one.
Can I buy my child a device somewhere else?
No. We don’t run a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program at Greenvale Primary School. If student’s
purchase a device for use at school, it must be the device we provide through our chosen supplier. The reasons we run the 1-1 program this way are as follows:
- We ensure that you get the best value for money on your device. You may think you’ve found the same device with a lower price tag, but it usually won’t have the same specifications as what we offer.
- Devices in retail stores will come with a standard 12-month warranty. We offer devices with 3 years warranty on both the device and the battery.
- We offer accidental damage insurance as an option (we strongly urge all families to go with this option), meaning if your child drops the device and cracks the screen or spills a drink on the device, it will be repaired for $100. This won’t be offered when you purchase through a retail store.
- The school IT Department will handle all maintenance and repairs to devices purchased through our portal. We can’t do this for devices purchased elsewhere. Eg. A device purchased at JB Hifi would need to be returned to JB Hifi and then shipped back to Lenovo for assessment and repairs. This will take a lot longer (sometimes as long as 2 months) and you may end up arguing with the manufacturer about the issues and their causes.
- Devices purchased through our portal will be provided to you with a school software image, meaning students all have the same software when it comes time to use it in the classroom.
Why should we purchase accidental damage insurance?
Greenvale Primary School STRONGLY recommends that you purchase insurance. The two most common reasons that we find students make insurance claims are when the device is dropped or when liquid is spilled on the device. In many cases the damage caused by these sorts of accidents will cost a minimum of several hundred dollars to repair, plus an additional $45 for a technician to quote the repair cost (even if you decide not to get it repaired). We often have cases where the repair cost is higher than the brand-new cost of a device.
Can we repair the device ourselves? Or take it to a repair shop?
No, this will void the device’s warranty. The school IT Department is authorised by the device manufacturer to perform some repairs. For other repairs, the school IT Department will deal directly with the supplier to make sure issues are rectified as quickly as possible.
Will the school install an internet filter on my child’s device?
No. The school’s internet connection does have a Department of Education provided filter. However, if you want a filter for home, this is something you will need to purchase and configure for yourself. We don’t currently recommend any particular solution for this at home. At school, we teach safe internet use, so at home we recommend the same. Ensuring that your child uses their device in a common area of your home and that they know it’s okay to talk to you if they stumble upon something they shouldn’t see is generally the best strategy.
Do we need to install an antivirus?
No. Microsoft Defender will already be installed on the device, this should be adequate to protect the device against most infections.
Having more than one antivirus software installed can actually cause conflicts that prevent the software from protecting the device. We also find that 99% of the time when a user thinks they have a virus, it’s actually something much less menacing that we can fix quickly and easily at school
What happens if my child leaves the school during the next 3 years?
Devices are initially rolled out with Department of Education owned and licensed software installed, so if a student is leaving, we will just need to remove that software. We usually ask that devices are provided to the IT Department at school a day or two before the student’s last day. This way we have plenty of time to prepare the device for home use and deal with any issues that may arise.