Policy:

Saint Patrick Regional Secondary School is proud to offer a technology rich environment for the support of learning and teaching. To facilitate this environment, the school has a required Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy for its students. This ensures that all students are able to participate equally in technology-enabled educational activities, both at the school and at home.

The IT infrastructure at Saint Patrick Regional Secondary School is designed to be inclusive. We recognize that some people will have different preferences for Windows/Microsoft devices, Android devices, Linux/Unix devices, or Apple devices. The school supports all these platforms. The only requirement is that the device have a full keyboard (for producing longer written documents), and an internet connection (preferably 802.11ac). Specialized software is not used, and all services are delivered to students using web applications through an internet browser (e.g., Google Chrome). The implication of this IT infrastructure for parents and students is that a $300-500 computer will meet the students’ needs in the same way a $2000+ computer will. The purpose of this clarification is to make the distinction between what is required for academic use and what is effectively a status symbol.

A strength of the school’s BYOD policy is that it gives students and parents the flexibility to buy the devices that they feel best meet their needs (e.g., larger screen versus a more portable device). The school does not recommend any brand or vendor over any other, and cannot be involved in the personal purchases of its community members. This said, school community members, when engaging with vendors on their own, can benefit from preferential pricing by identifying themselves as being a part of the Saint Patrick Regional Secondary School community.