With school starting next week, it’s time for parents and kids to get organised – and the Herald is here to help. Today Melissa Nightingale and Adam Ray look at stationery and devices
As parents embark on a new school year, the need for laptops and tablets instead of traditional stationery is hitting pockets hard.
Solo mum Shelley Devine started putting money aside a year in advance, knowing her 13-year-old triplets would all need laptops for when they head off to college this year.
“I’m a single parent, so I’m pretty used to it by now - that I do have to budget way in advance,” said the Glenfield mother.
She has managed to get her boys through primary and intermediate school without them needing laptops of their own, but it could be put off no longer.
“I’ve kind of just had to bite the bullet and just do it. I feel like I have no other option.”
Devine bought three Chromebooks on sale several weeks ago for $565 each.
It’s not the first time she’s had to shell out for her kids, with her now-21-year-old son also having needed a $1200 laptop with certain software programmes for the studies he was undertaking in high school.
Devine works part-time and receives some assistance from Work and Income, but said even though she was able to get financial assistance to help pay for the laptops, she must still pay the money back over time.
“I just have to be very, very careful with my money and how much I spend.”
Despite the cost, Devine agrees with the practice of giving students devices for their work.
“I think that given that we live in a very technological era, I think that just how it is. That’s just, I guess, how life’s going to be, moving forward.”
It was helpful for students to have all their work in one place where it was easily accessible, and using the computers would help her boys prepare for adult life and workplaces that primarily used computers.
“It’s just unfortunate they cost so much money... I just think it would be quite nice if there was more of a discount if you’re having to buy multiple devices.”
A new school year means a new list of stationary for children, but while books and pens still have to purchased, computers are easily the single biggest costs.
Auckland mum Renata Mendes said when she received the stationery list for her daughter who was starting intermediate, she was “a bit shocked” to realise she needed a laptop.
She got her daughter one for about $400, and told her it would have to be her Christmas present this year.
“She is a really sweet girl, so she said ‘Okay’.”
Under the BYOD (bring your own device) model, families can buy a computer for children, or lease it through the school or a third party.
The Ministry of Education does not collect information on how many schools run a BYOD programme or provide devices for children.
Families cannot be made to pay for a device for use in class.
“Decisions about digital devices – including the choice of device, and when and how to implement technology in the classroom – are best made by boards in consultation with their communities. However, we do have guidance for schools on digital devices,” said Shirley Hepburn, the ministry’s acting chief digital officer.
So while some schools buy class sets of devices, others specify a brand they require or set broad specifications for a device.
“Many schools work with local trusts to establish affordable lease-to-buy arrangements.”
Consumer NZ says parents and caregivers should be smart about the devices they choose, and think about factors such as durability, portability, performance, and cost.
A primary school-aged child will need a computer that can take knocks, while secondary school-aged children will need a device with higher performance capabilities.
Nick Gelling is a product testing writer for Consumer NZ and, with colleague Erin Bennett, looked at dozens of devices that families could buy for BYOD use last year.
For older primary school children who start using devices in schools, $600 could be an upper limit, while devices for use in secondary school could be in the range of $1200.
“It’s about spending as little as you can to get a device that will work for your child.“
“You don’t want to spend a lot on something that might get broken.”
Families should check if schools require certain operating systems, such as Windows, Mac or Chrome, to make sure the device will work with set software.
Second-hand devices were also a good option, and getting an ex-lease or refurbished computer would cut costs.
Some schools will work with an outlet to offer a discount deal, but families can also use websites of popular retailers to enter device requirements and check their options.
Schools looking for help providing devices to children can work with groups such as the Manaiakalani Education Trust, which supports digital learning for 120 schools around the country.
The trust usually partners with schools in lower socio-economic areas, and buys Chromebooks in bulk to sell to families at a low price - $520.
The devices can be paid off over two years, and the package includes a hard carry case, full set-up, and a three-year care plan.
Chief executive Jenny Oxley says the trust also has a focus on working with schools to ensure teachers make the most of devices in the classroom - moving from a traditional, analogue model to digital learning.
“If nothing changes in the classroom, all you are doing is that instead of writing on a pad, you are writing on a keypad.“
Oxley says many schools are yet to embrace digital learning - many simply can’t afford it.
And even when the Government has offered extra support, such as during the pandemic, this has served to underline the scale of the challenge.
When the first lockdowns hit during the initial stages of Covid-19, the Ministry of Education rolled out an emergency response for remote, digital learning.
The ministry aimed to provide 45,000 households with internet connections and 36,000 devices for students, with Year 11 - 13 students in lower-decile schools a priority.
Later analysis found the programme succeeded in that it reached many students who lacked digital access and that it fostered achievement and progress during the 2020 lockdown.
But those benefits did not last. When lockdowns returned a year later, many students had returned the devices to schools, limiting their access to digital learning.
“Lessons learned: the barriers and challenges to achieving greater digital access are many and varied,“ the report concluded.
Monday: Back to school: How to save money on uniforms - parents share tips
Wednesday: Back to school: How to make healthy, budget lunches your kids will eat
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