NSW teachers fear a "digital divide" is inevitable following the Turnbull government's about-face on Gonski reforms, as research shows parents are struggling with the growing burden to buy devices that can cost up to $1200 per child.
In reaction to the government's decision to not fund the final two years of Gonski school funding, the NSW Teachers Federation said wealth would again determine the quality of a child's education, especially in the areas of innovation and technology.
Denis Fitzgerald, the federation's acting deputy president, said schools' BYOD - or Bring-your-own-device - schemes was the perfect "litmus" for the "tragedy" of the new policy settings.
"BYOD may become a rather sad and ironic term, in that children will bring what their family can afford – the device, the support, the software," said Mr Fitzgerald.
"We face a crisis of a digital divide, and this would be between kids, and that's the harshest thing a responsible government can do."
Many NSW schools are improving and refining their own BYOD schemes – initiated in 2013 after the end of Labor's free laptop-driven Digital Education Revolution – offering product recommendations and financial hardship assistance.
But nearly half of school parents feel they are not getting value for money, and a quarter admit to buying an unsuitable device in the past, according to a Microsoft-commissioned survey of 1000 parents by the Online Research Unit.
And 37 per cent say they are getting little to no guidance from schools about which device would best suit and enhance their child's learning style.
Concerningly, a quarter of parents of senior school students say they were advised to buy a tablet, such as an iPad, when this would generally be inappropriate.
Pip Cleaves, owner of education and technology consultancy Design, Learn, Empower, said touch-based tablets were not appropriate for senior students who need to complete word processing, spreadsheets, and calculations.
"Parents are also making emotional choices and purchases based on what others are buying. They must consider the learning needs of their child and buy a device according to that," said Ms Cleaves, also a parent and head teacher.
"The wrong device has the potential to hinder a student's growth and development."
Computer companies and retailers are cashing in on the massive growth in demand for laptops, tablets and two-in-ones, with Harvey Norman setting up BYOD-specific sale areas and Lenovo partnering with schools, including Sydney Boys High School.
A NSW Education Department spokesman said the "school level" partnership was centred around "ease of purchase, providing an efficient way to purchase devices".
A Lenovo spokeswoman said: "Lenovo is not directly partnering with SBHS but its channel partner, ASI, is providing a portal where the school can buy Microsoft and Apple devices, as well as Lenovo products".
Idin Ghafouri, store manager at Harvey Norman in North Ryde, said a typical student laptop bundle, which includes a case, a mouse, anti-virus software and warranties, would cost about $1200.
Robert Quinto, store manager at JW Computers in Castle Hill, said he has served parents who felt pressured by the big expense. The top BYOD sellers include the Asus Zenbook, about $900, and the Toshiba S40, about $800.
"They've got three kids in the family, same school, that's three devices. You definitely can see that pressure building," he said.
Bill Cohen, a NSW secondary school teacher, said a major electronic retailer had falsely assured and sold parents "BYOD-ready" devices when they could not connect with the 5 gigahertz wireless network – the standard for NSW schools.
He said an overlooked factor was durability and urged parents to consider whether a device could handle being transported to and from school for three years.
"Durability is the most common trade-off. The more expensive something is, the more likely it is going to be built out of components that are durable. That's something that often suffers when parents in lower income brackets," he said.
Mother-of-three Jeanette, from Castle Hill, says the thought of providing her children with new, digital devices, is a daunting one. All attend non-government schools.
"It's a huge expense and a massive drain on the family budget, especially when you have multiple children. We're both working full time and looking after our family, so it's hard to get the time to make appropriate decisions," she says.
Jeanette, who withheld her surname, sees the pedagogical shift towards using laptops and tablets in the classroom an important step, but finds it difficult to reconcile her children's needs with schools' strict requirements.
Her children – Cameron in year 12, Jacinta in year 10 and Jeremy in year three – already own devices not on their schools' pre-approved list, but need to either purchase a new one or apply for use of an alternative device, which can be a time-consuming process.
Their schools provide websites to facilitate buying the necessary equipment from a partnered provider, like Microsoft. "When we first saw the list, when you add on the costs of the cases and the insurance, it can be a lot."
Despite the costs, the tailored experience of students being able to use their own personal device is a bonus, said Jeanette, whose daughter Jacinta will soon need a new laptop.
"We'll need to go through and specifically purchase one for her needs. She's very interested in design and art so we'll probably need one with a more creative capacity."
with Tom Joyner
