Idris Syed-Gonsalves, 9, and Aden Shapland, 9, work on a model car as part of the robotics team project at Queen Victoria Public School. A report from People for Education says almost 60 per cent of Ontario schools allow students to bring their own devices to class, despite concerns over a growing “digital divide.”
BYOD — bring your own device — now in most Ontario schools, survey finds
Most Ontario schools allow kids to bring their own device, raising questions about the ‘digital divide’ of kids who have access to smart phones, computers, and those that don’t.
Idris Syed-Gonsalves, 9, and Aden Shapland, 9, work on a model car as part of the robotics team project at Queen Victoria Public School. A report from People for Education says almost 60 per cent of Ontario schools allow students to bring their own devices to class, despite concerns over a growing “digital divide.”
Almost 60 per cent of Ontario schools allow students to BYOD — bring your own device — to class, a practice trending across the province despite concerns over a growing “digital divide,” says a new report on technology in education.
While classrooms are still the most common place for students to access computers at school — reported by 96 per cent of schools — some 58 per cent say kids use their own smartphones or tablets.
“To tackle this challenge, some schools try to provide access at school as much as possible, or to provide affordable technology for families to purchase for home/school use,” says the report by People for Education, a research and advocacy group which surveyed 1,349 Ontario elementary and secondary schools.
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The Peel District School Board, which introduced a BYOD policy in 2012 along with a deal offering students $55 tablets, says equity is an issue and on Tuesday will announce a partnership with Dell Canada giving families discounts — in some cases more than $100, according to website price comparisons — on tablets and notebooks, including no-interest payment plans and in-home warranty service.
“We have worked to create a range of options to meet the different needs of our families,” said Brian Woodland, the board’s director of communications and community relations, calling it “a big step forward in closing the digital divide.”
He said the board is looking for companies to help provide low-cost Internet access for the board’s 153,000 students and their families.
In the meantime, research is needed on how BYOD policies affect students from low-income families, said Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, People for Education’s research director, at the release of the report at Toronto’s Queen Victoria elementary school.
“What we need is a digital learning framework, and if we are confident that all kids are getting a fair chance to learn, and if schools are able to improve access to computers because they are only buying a few, it might actually improve equity,” she said.
“As long as (boards) realize it’s not a level playing field, and consciously address that.”
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The Dufferin-Peel Catholic board is developing a BYOD policy, but not before thinking about how students from needy families might be affected.
“We have concerns about equity and ensuring students have equitable access,” said Bruce Campbell, manager of community relations.
Trevor Sookraj, student trustee for the Peel public board, said access “is definitely a concern that has been brought up in the past . . . that students who can’t afford those devices can’t be as productive as their classmates” because they can only do work at school, and only if school-provided devices are available.
