MOE to roll out new device management applications to Chromebooks and iPads
Lightspeed Systems will be centrally deployed to students’ Chromebooks by the end of November 2024, and those who use iPads will go through guided onboarding for Jamf in January 2025.
Secondary 2 students with their personal learning devices during their subject-level mathematics class at Jurong West Secondary School. (File photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) will roll out new device management applications to students’ Chromebooks and iPads from November 2024 and January 2025 respectively.
Lightspeed Systems will be centrally deployed to Chromebook personal learning devices by the end of November 2024 with no additional steps required by parents or students, MOE said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 24).
For iPads, Jamf will be deployed in January 2025 because students will need to go through a guided onboarding process in school, said the education ministry.
Windows devices will continue to use Blocksi.
The update follows MOE’s decision in August to remove device management application Mobile Guardian from students' devices the day after a global cybersecurity breach
Mobile Guardian suffered a cyberattack on Aug 4 that affected 13,000 users from 26 secondary schools. In September, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing confirmed that MOE took legal action against "relevant contractors" after the breach.
For parents who want “greater say” over how their children use their devices at home, MOE will continue to provide them with options to manage the devices after school hours, it said.
Noting that no software solution is “entirely foolproof”, the education ministry said it has taken steps to ensure that the new applications “meet schools’ needs effectively”.
The new applications were selected for their ability to meet “core technology requirements”, including mobile device management, usage management and classroom management, said MOE in its statement.
They also comply with security standards, including independent third-party security attestations and certifications, said the ministry.
To prepare to deploy these applications, schools will be trained on how to use them in November, said MOE.
“MOE will provide resources to schools to guide them through the deployment process as well as to engage students and parents,” the statement read.
Both schools and parents will need time to familiarise themselves with the new applications and may encounter “some teething issues”, MOE acknowledged.
“MOE will provide the necessary support throughout the transition period and address any issues that may arise.”
