Laptop at school: what are the rules and who pays?.

Is a laptop required at school?

Whether a laptop is needed depends on the school. Some schools work fully digitally, others use laptops only for certain subjects.

Important to know: a school cannot make parents buy a laptop. Education must be accessible for every child. If a laptop is needed for education and you cannot or do not want to buy one, the school must provide an alternative. For example, a loan laptop.

Schools can recommend a laptop and explain which requirements are needed for education. But they cannot require parents to buy a specific brand or model.

What can you do if the school says a laptop is required?

Sometimes it seems that buying a laptop is required. For example, because of how schools communicate about it. Can or do you not want to buy a laptop? Then talk to the school. The school has the duty of care to offer a solution. If you cannot agree together, you can contact the school governing body or the Education Inspectorate.

Renting a laptop

Some schools work with external companies that offer laptops. You can then rent or buy a laptop, often with service and repair included.

Renting may seem convenient, but watch the costs closely. You usually pay a deposit and monthly fees. Sometimes you end up paying as much or more than if you buy a laptop.

What must a school laptop meet?

At most secondary schools, your child uses a laptop for:

• digital learning methods
• a Microsoft Office package with programs like Word and PowerPoint
• online school platforms, such as Magister or Somtoday
• cloud storage, like Google Drive or OneDrive
• an internet browser and security software.

Always ask the school which programs are needed. This way, you avoid buying a too expensive or wrong laptop.

Can your child also use the laptop privately?

That depends on the agreements and who owns the laptop. If you buy a laptop yourself, your child can usually also use it privately.

The school can apply certain settings to ensure a safe learning environment, for example by blocking certain websites during school hours. Often your child can use a private account besides a school account, so the laptop can be used normally outside school hours.

Can the school watch or check laptop use?

Schools can check the use of school accounts and school software. For example, to reduce distraction or ensure safety.

This must always have a clear purpose and be justified. If you want to know exactly what your school does, you can ask the school.

Screen time

If your child works with a laptop at school, there is of course more screen time. That makes it extra important to use screens consciously at home. Do not only look at how much time your child spends in front of a screen, but also what they do and if it affects the rest of the day. Make sure there is enough variation with moving, playing outside, and rest. Make agreements together about screen use after school.