Schools Handing Out Laptops - Privacy Concerns?

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"My name is Manuel Tebas. I was a student at Harriton High School, in the graduating class of 2009. We were the first year on the one-to-one laptop initiative. [...] I saw your post about removing webcam capability from the Macbook. It is possible - I did it last year. I will preface this by saying that when I did it, I was almost expelled, saved only by the fact that there was, at the time, no rule against doing so."

"I remember that the laptop was a requirement in school for many classes. That may remain so."

" had brought in my own personal computer to work on a project for school one day. I was doing a presentation involving programs not available on the regular computers, only in specific labs. I happened to have a copy of my own. My personal property was confiscated from me in a study hall when I was working on a school assignment because it was against the schools 'code of conduct'."

"Hi, I'm a 2009 Graduate of Harriton Highschool. [...] I and a few of my fellow peers were suspicious of this sort of activity when we first received the laptops. The light next to the web cam would randomly come on, whether we were in class, in study hall or at home minding our own business. We reported it multiple times, each time getting the response: "It's only a malfunction. if you'd like we'll look into it and give you a loaner computer."


"The webcam couldn't be disabled due through tough tough security settings. Occasionally we would notice that the green light was on from time to time but we just figured that it was glitching out as some macbooks do sometimes. Some few covered it up with tape and post its because they thought the IT guys were watching them. I always thought they were crazy and that the district, one of the more respectable ones within the state, would never pull some shit like this. I guess I was wrong."

"I am the father of a 17 y/o Harrington High student. She has had one of these laptops for 2 years. She has noticed the "green light" coming on but was not computer literate enough to know what initiated it"

quote hiigaran

if they do that, they face serious punishments that can be as bad as expulsion...yeah, sorta like a catch 22 situation huh? you gotta put up and shut up.

quote hiigaran

you see, heres another dilemma with the laptops. do they really do more good, or become counter productive? were all tempted by the internet, so working on laps without peeking at the wonders of the internet would be rather hard to do. admittedly it can make things so much easier, like writing. no pens needed, no hand strains, no rubbers or crossing out with pens, but still, many people are just going to be counter productive with it. probably the best thing to do with these would be to hand them out to students in their last two years of school - the years after most countries have their high school drop outs. so apart from the obvious privacy issues that arise from these laptops, do you think its really worth it for students to have them (general question for all)?