By Evie Drinnan
While over 80% of families with students in Years 3-6 at New Farm State School have chosen to participate in the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program implemented this year, some parents still have concerns and have indicated that they are participating reluctantly.
Year 3 parent Jess Clymo said: “I still don’t 100% know how devices are utilised in the classroom, nor have I been provided with a weekly class schedule which indicates when and how technology is implemented.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Education said schools are supposed to make local decisions in consultation with their communities about device ownership, type and how they are implemented in the classroom.
It is up to the school to decide how they consult with their community.
“The school’s consultation process is pretty lacking at the best of times. In the context of BYOD, the training was extremely disorganised and uninformative,” Ms Clymo said.
Year 3 parent Ivo Kornel said: “I first heard about the program in an email to parents just before Christmas, telling us that we need to buy iPads for next year.”
“I don’t know what they’re up to on their devices at school. If they’re playing educational games on a screen, they should be engaging in a group instead and learning social skills.
“Speaking to other parents at the school, their kids also struggle with reading and writing. The consensus is that it’s too early for students to use technology when they haven’t got strong reading and handwriting skills yet,” he said.
Ms Clymo said: “The introduction of iPads has taken precedence as the primary learning modality.”
The NFSS Principal and Queensland Education Minister declined to comment, but the Department of Education spoke on behalf of the school.
“After investigating the options available on the market, the school found the iPad best suited its teaching and learning needs.
“The school will offer shared school devices for use in the classroom for students who do not bring along a device. Families are also encouraged to approach the Principal in cases of financial hardship,” the spokesperson said.
NFSS held a series of information and consultation sessions in 2021 and consulted with their P&C committee and wider school community to develop and review the BYOD program.
In November 2023, they held an information session run by Digital Child, a research centre backed by over 200 university researchers and the eSafety Commissioner.
There is also information about the BYOD program on the school’s website.
Students at Holy Spirit School (HSS) in New Farm start developing digital literacy from Foundation/Prep, and all students in years 2-6 have 1-1 access to a device owned by the school.
HSS Primary Learning Leader Troy Geiss said: “We have chosen not to implement a BYOD program because if we own the devices, we have greater control of what happens on them and what’s on them.”
Ascot State School year 3 and 6 parent Jacquie Wickham said: “The school doesn’t run a BYOD program.”
“They still use technology…they learn research, data, creative and presentation skills. They’re real-life skills they’ll be able to utilise in the real world, but they have balance,” she said.
A NFSS Year 3 parent, who chose to speak off the record, said: “I don’t know anyone who likes it, they were just forced to be a part of it.
“An information session was scheduled for the second last Thursday of the school year, and there was a band performance the same night. It seemed like they didn’t want anyone to show up. Half the parents didn’t even know it was on.
“I have tried to make an appointment with the principal five times about the BYOD program and was ignored every time. I tried in person, through admin, and over email.”
