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Student Device Loan Agreement

9 min read

General Information #

  1. Rehoboth has run a successful 1-1 device program for many years, bringing educational benefit to students in the classroom and at home. The College provides students with a device on a loan arrangement. There are no additional charges to parents for this service.
  2. The College has determined that Microsoft Surface devices are currently the best fit for our needs, with their support for multitouch and pen as well as a form factor that enables their use as a standalone tablet or a more traditional laptop with a detachable keyboard. This flexibility provides teachers and students with the widest choice of applications, and is backed up with cloud-based storage, which means that if a device is lost or damaged, the student’s valuable work remains safe.
  3. Rehoboth has been recognised by Microsoft as a Surface Gold school for our leading application of this technology in our teaching and learning. For more information on our Microsoft tools visit the Parent Guides for Microsoft Tools.

Device Usage at Home #

  1. Surface devices assigned to students on a 1-1 basis in Years 4-6 will stay in the classroom unless the student’s teacher permits them to take their device home. Students in Years 7-12 are expected to take their devices home and bring them in fully charged and ready each day.
  2. It is the responsibility of parents to decide whether to permit student devices to be connected to the internet at home. Surface  devices operate online, so work done at school can be easily accessed on any other internet-connected computer that students may have access to at home, such as one located in a family area that parents can easily supervise. Surface devices can also be used in a limited capacity without internet connection to access and create documents.
  3. Although internet access is filtered on devices outside of school, this is a useful method of basic protection only. Filtering rules on student devices are set by the College and cannot be modified on an individual basis.
  4. The amount to which student devices are expected to be used at home varies by year group; more information can be found in the student handbook. If parents have concerns about the level of device usage at home, these should be address to the student’s teacher in the first instance.

Terms and Conditions of Device Loan #

  1. This agreement is to be signed by both parent and student. A declaration of agreement to the terms and conditions of the device loan is completed online by parents and students and must be received by the College no later than the end of Week 3, Term 1. Failing this return, the device will be reclaimed by the College.
  2. For the purpose of these terms and conditions we use the term device to refer to a Surface Pro including all provided accessories.
  3. This agreement is to be read in conjunction with the ICT Usage and Social Media (Students) Policy which forms part of this agreement.
  4. This agreement is updated annually to reflect the changing nature of the devices in use and the terms under which they are loaned. Parents and students will typically be required to update their agreement at the beginning of each academic year.
  5. The College will provide a device on loan to each student in Years 4-12, along with a Microsoft account. Students will retain their device either until they are replaced by the College or the student’s course of study ends, when they are to be returned no later than the student’s last enrolled day.
  6. The College will make no charge over and above tuition fees for the use of devices; however, a bond of $200 is payable. This will be billed to the family’s account in the first term of use and is fully refundable upon return of a clean and undamaged device (including its charger, case, and pen). The College reserves the right to reclaim devices if bond costs remain unpaid by the due date. Bonds will be held in trust by the College until the end of the device’s period of use in order to contribute towards the cost of any essential non-warranty repairs and cleaning. Warranty cover is comprehensive; however, it does not extend to physical, liquid, or other accidental damage, so there will be a cost incurred by parents for essential repairs in these circumstances. Essential repairs are those repairs deemed necessary by the College’s ICT Team Leader or the device supplier. Costs will be capped at the replacement cost of the device including its essential added warranty.
  7. The decision of the ICT Team Leader is final in relation to essential repairs. The portion of repair costs billed to parents is determined by the Finance Manager, who will use a lowest cost approach. Parents are entitled to request evidence of any costs billed to their account. Any family who feels aggrieved by a decision to bill a cost for repairs is invited to email the Finance Manager.
  8. On signing this agreement for the release of a loan device, the student will receive:
    1. a copy of this agreement;
    2. a device;
    3. a pen;
    4. a power supply and plug;
    5. a protective case;
    6. a logon and password within the College’s domain for use with the device.

Repair Costs #

  1. Any matters for repair are to be referred to the College. 
  2. All repairs under warranty are conducted at no charge.
  3. Any costs of repair or replacement incurred by the College and billed to parents will be the minimum amount required to return a device to its condition prior to the incident or to furnish a similar replacement.
  4. Repairs may only be conducted by the College at risk of loss of warranty cover. Please do not attempt to repair any issues yourself or pay for an unauthorised third-party repair service.
  5. The AAAA battery in the Surface pen is treated as a consumable item. The battery usually lasts at least a year and must be replaced by the student.
  6. Where accidental damage or loss has occurred, the repair cost schedule below will apply. Note that these are indicative costs only:
    1. Lost or broken charger – $125
    2. Lost or broken detachable keyboard – $200
    3. Lost or broken pen – $60
    4. Lost or broken case – $50
    5. Dirty device – $20
    6. Other breakage – At cost to the College
    7. Lost or stolen device – At cost to the College

Student Responsibilities #

Students understand that: 

  1. The device is owned by the College and loaned to them only for the duration of their course of study.
  2. The device and the associated Microsoft account are for use with their study. While the device is on campus it is to be used for educational purposes only. The College accepts that the student may, on occasion, use the device and associated account for matters of a private nature, so long as such use is:
    1. outside of school hours and with their parents’ permission;
    2. not contravening the College’s internet filters;
    3. not in breach of copyright of any kind;
    4. not illegal, immoral, or in any other way inappropriate;
    5. always giving priority to their study.
  3. The device and its accessories are uniquely tagged and recorded as being issued to them alone. Students are responsible for caring for the device and for reporting any problems, losses, or accidnets (no matter how minor) in a timely manner.
  4. Their actions on the device are monitored and recorded by the College. This includes apps installed, message sent and received, and documents produced. Students are trusted to use their devices wisely and with respect for others and will be held responsible for doing so.
  5. If they are trusted to bring their device home , they should have it available and fully charged at the start of each school day. For safety reasons, chargers are not to be brought to school.
  6. They should only ever use their own device unless specifically instructed otherwise by a teacher.
  7. The device, accessories, and bag should not be marked or personalised with stickers, drawings, or etchings of any kind. Devices are leased by the College and must be returned at the end of the lease in an unmarked and clean condition. Students may differentiate their device only with removable tags or keychains.
  8. The device should not be defaced by removing labels or tag, as this may make it unidentifiable and result in a charge for a replacement device. Rubber bumpers and hinge film should not be picked off; these serve a useful purpose and protect the device from damage.
  9. Any attempt to ‘hack’ or circumvent the protection of the device’s operating system, signing in with a personal account, or attempting to gain administrator access, is expressly forbidden.

Students are responsible for good housekeeping of their devices which includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Carrying the device sensibly by:
    1. only carrying it when closed and in its case;
    2. placing it in a bag with the minimum number of objects possible in order to avoid excess pressure on the screen;
    3. not carrying in the same bag as liquids;
    4. not running with the device; and
    5. putting it in a plastic bag when travelling to and from school on a wet day.
  2. Using the device sensibly by:
    1. only touching the screens with the included pen or a finger;
    2. not leaning on the device when it is closed;
    3. not placing anything on the keyboard when closing the lid;
    4. not placing anything else in the bag with the device;
    5. cleaning the device with a soft anti-static cloth only;
    6. being careful with the charger cable, not putting it where someone might trip over it, and taking care when plugging and unplugging;
    7. not drinking or eating around the device;
    8. not leaving the device in a warm location, such as a car, where excess heat could cause damage to the battery; and
    9. ensuring the Surface pen battery (standard AAAA) is replaced when it runs out so that the pen is always available for use.
  3. If these conditions are broken and the device is abused or misused, repercussions may involve:
    1. confiscation of the device entirely;
    2. losing take-home privileges;
    3. enforcement of strict restrictions on the usage of the device such as an internet ‘penalty box’ or only being able to use a limited selection of apps.

Parent Responsibilities #

Parents understand and support the student terms above and additionally understand that: 

  1. If a device is lost or damaged while in the possession of a student, the student’s parents will meet the cost of repair or replacement. A permanent replacement will usually be issued from spare stock rather than waiting for the repaired device to be returned. Any failures or breakages owing to a defect in the product will be dealt with under warranty at no charge. Reasonable wear and tear is expected but should be minimal if the device is kept in the case provided; any wear not deemed reasonable will be chargeable.
  2. As explained in the section Device Usage at Home above, should parents choose to enable internet connectivity on the device at home, they assume responsibility to provide appropriate supervision and controls to satisfy their own standards and ensure that access is appropriate.
  3. The device must be returned to the College, clean and in good working order, no later than the student’s last day of enrolment at the College, or within seven days of the student’s last WACE examination. Should the device and accessories not be returned after a student leaves the College, parents will be charged for the value of a replacement device and accessories. The amount recoverable shall be the fair value as calculated by the Finance Manager in consultation with the ICT Manager, adjusted for any deposit held.
  4. These conditions may be varied at any time by the College by providing the student and parents with a written version of the amended conditions. If the amended conditions are unacceptable to the student or parents, they have the option of terminating the agreement by returning the loaned device to the College in an acceptable condition.

Parent and Student Declaration #

It is expected that parents and students will be familiar with the terms and conditions of the ICT Student Device Loan Agreement prior to completing this agreement. Please ensure your completed form is submitted by the due date specified in the terms and conditions.