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Vandalism concerns as hundreds of school Chromebooks need repairs potentially costing Highland Council more than £40,000





Highland school have been using Chromebooks for years but repair issues have just recently emerged.
Highland school have been using Chromebooks for years but repair issues have just recently emerged.

There has been a huge spike in the number of pupils’ laptops needing repairs in the first two weeks of the new school term amid concerns of deliberate vandalism.

Highland Council confirmed that around 200 Chromebooks a week have needed work (402 in total) in August compared to a total of 297 for the same time last year.

The repair bill is steep with the council estimating it costs around £100 while replacing a device costs £300 so it could range from £40,000 to £120,000.

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Chromebooks have become an integral part of classroom learning since before the pandemic with around 27,000 in circulation among the north’s 33,000 pupils.

Inverness south councillor Duncan Macpherson raised the issue about the damage to the laptops after seeing piles of them at the local authority HQ.

The council is unaware if the devices have been damaged deliberately but given they are sometimes in the hands of young children wear and tear is expected.

Some may have come in for updates or when new pupils enter secondary school, for example, there is a rise in reports of damage or failings.

However, that does not entirely explain the huge spike in numbers – 35 per cent higher – from the start of term on August 16 to the end of the month.

Cllr Macpherson said: “I was in the council’s IT Department getting my phone and laptop reconfigured and while I was there, I spotted trolleys full of Chromebooks.

“The Chromebook Support Team explained what they’re involved in with all the repairs to damaged Chromebooks.

“The school kids are allegedly trashing them each time they want to avoid a homework assignment. One kid is apparently on their 13th Chromebook and constantly damages their device without any repercussions.

“I asked to see specific examples of damage done and they group a series of images of absolutely destroyed devices that are stamped on or thrown from high windows to achieve that extent of severe damage.

“Other Chromebooks were knelt on deliberately to crack the screen, or had pens deliberately closed on the screen to crack the screens, so the kids would say: ‘I couldn’t access my device to complete my homework.’

He added: “It’s costing the council and therefore the hard-pressed Highland taxpayers tens of their pounds to run this scheme.”

A council spokeswoman said: “In August 2024 we had 402 repair tickets opened. In August 2023 we had 297 repair tickets opened. Looking only at the August 2024 data, this represents approximately 1.5 per cent of devices.

“Therefore, we have seen higher numbers this year. However, there was a big refresh of devices in 2023 and we would expect fewer repairs to be needed at that time as a result of the refresh.

“Note also that the number is often relatively high in August as faults may only be reported for some devices when they are passed to new pupils moving from Primary to Secondary.

Asked if the reasons were known why such a high proportion are being damaged, and whether some may have vandalised their devices to avoid school work, the spokeswoman said: “No. Please note that this percentage covers both faults and damage. The council is not aware of pupils damaging Chromebooks to avoid work.

“Most damaged Chromebooks are repaired by the council’s in-house team. This generally is significantly cheaper than purchasing new devices as replacements. Repair costs average approximately £100 per device but vary depending on the nature of the fault. A new device costs approximately £300.”


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