Introducing Inaburra’s managed device program
As the school continues to evaluate how best to support our students’ learning and wellbeing, Inaburra’s BYOT program will be phased out over a three-year period 2025-2027.We will be transitioning from our current BYOT model to school managed devices, starting with Year 5 and Year 7 students in 2025.
Please note that this program does not affect students in Kindergarten to Year 4.
Our Goal
Advances in technology have challenged the effectiveness of the BYOT program in its current format. The resulting transition to managed devices is part of our commitment to ensuring a focused, productive, and safe digital learning environment for all students.
Why Managed Devices?
We believe that moving to managed devices will provide several key benefits, including:
- Greater control over devices: Managed devices allow the school to control app installation and usage, ensuring students access only the tools they need for learning. This helps reduce distractions and keeps students focused on educational activities.
- Decreased screen time: A growing pool of research, such as Jonathan Haidt’s recent work on the relationship between screen time and mental health, and our experience, suggests that excessive screen time can negatively impact teenagers’ mental health. By regulating the use of these devices during school hours, we aim to help students establish healthier boundaries with technology.
- Improved security and safety: Managed devices prevent features like phone tethering or hot-spotting, ensuring that students use secure networks for internet access, which helps protect them from inappropriate content and distractions.
- Consistency across the classroom: Having all students on the same platform allows teachers to create more seamless, efficient lessons, as all students will have access to the same tools and updates without technical difficulties that often arise from a disparate BYOT model.
Chosen Device
The chosen device is a MacBook Air, 13″ screen, M3 CPU (8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 16-Core Neural Engine), 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage. It will come with a protective case.
What this means for existing families
To cover the cost of providing and maintaining the devices, there will be a technology levy, itemised in the semester school fees. The levy will cover the cost of the device, accessories, and management software.
Due to the education and finance discounts that we can negotiate as a school, we believe the costs will be commensurate with your own costs should you have purchased and maintained your child’s device independently.
We will provide detailed guidelines on the care and maintenance of the devices before they are distributed. However, we expect students to handle their managed devices with the same responsibility and care as they did with their previous BYOT devices.
Timeline
- 2025: Year 5 and Year 7 students will begin using managed devices.
- 2026: We plan to extend managed devices to all other cohorts up to Year 10 in 2026. The Year 11 (2026) and Year 12 (2026) cohort will remain on the BYOT program.
- 2027: Year 12 2027 will remain on the BYOT program. All other cohorts (Year 5-Year 11) will be using managed devices.
- 2028: All cohorts from Year 5 – Year 12 will be using managed devices.
FAQs
How much is the technology levy and when will it be charged?
The technology levy will be $335 per semester in 2025. The levy will be invoiced with school fees. Inaburra is only passing on the costs incurred by the supplier (i.e. no profit margin).
How often will students receive new devices?
Students paying the Technology Levy will receive a new device every 2 years under the current plan. The school may update this further down the track depending on the treatment of the devices over time.
Is it possible for students other than Year 5 and Year 7 2025 to transition next year to managed devices?
It may be possible for your student to move from the BYOT to a managed device earlier than scheduled, but will very much depend on the quantity of stock of devices we hold. We have already ordered specific numbers for Year 5 and 7 to ensure stock is on hand for 2025.
If you are interested in this option please complete the following form for consideration. https://forms.gle/mWzzBjdMs4yU6Xsy9
Can we migrate a recently purchased MacBook to a managed device?
We are currently reviewing whether this is possible at a practical and contractual level. We need to abide by Apple’s stringent ownership rules in terms of managing devices. Once we have clarification of this, we’ll advise parents.
Is the School able to provide a period of grace to families who recently purchased a device that can’t be be transitioned to a managed device?
Our goal is to transition each cohort together to gain the benefits of managed devices across the cohort in the classroom. The program roll-out is three years in order to minimise the financial impact to families. The cohorts selected for the 2025 roll-out fall into the least affected ‘bucket’ as most would not have purchased a device for 2025. The remaining students will have had a minimum of two years on their current BYOT device before changing over to the managed device program.
Any devices purchased previously may still be useful as another device at home for non-school related tasks (e.g. gaming).
Do I have to pay the technology levy if my child doesn't have a managed device?
At the end of the lease cycle, who owns the laptop?
The devices are being leased by the school. The Technology Levy covers the leasing cost. At the end of the cycle, all devices must be returned to the School, and will then be handed back to the leasing company.
Who is responsible for repairs and damage to the managed device?
Normal ‘wear and tear’ is expected. However damage that impacts the operation of the device, such as broken or significant screen damage or physical damage to the device, will not be covered by the insurance policy included in the technology levy. Parents will be invoiced separately for the repair costs.
What if my student requires specific hardware/software for a subject they are studying? E.g. media/video editing.
The managed device is sufficient for students to use for most learning tasks at school. If there are exceptions, they’ll be managed on a case-by-case basis to ensure students have access to the technology and software required.
Will students be able to install other software on their managed device?
No. The managed device is a learning tool and as such, student’s will not be able to download any apps or software that is not approved by the school.
Will students be able to recharge their device during the day?
We are discouraging students from planning to recharge at school; power cords/chargers can be a Work, Health and Safety hazard and they add extra weight to school bags. For this reason, battery life is key in choosing technology. Students will need to cultivate the habit of charging their device overnight.
What about students in Years K-4?
Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 will continue to use iPads for learning and students in Years 2-4 will continue on the Chromebook program. These devices are provided by the school and stay at school (i.e. students do not take them home).