BYOD Program Rolled Out at Manurewa High School

Financial partnership helps bridge the digital divide

Challenge

Manurewa High School needed to bridge the gap in digital literacy for their students while taking into account accessibility and affordability.

Solution

In 2018 Manurewa High School appointed NLC as their tech partner to help deliver an improved BYOD programme and work alongside the school to help them become a ‘one device per child’ school by 2020. NLC provided the technology package, advice and expertise to help implement the programme. This included a finance option to help families afford the technology.

Result

While Noel Leeming and the school initially implemented BYOD in stages, behind the scenes the Education team were working on a much wider finance initiative for clients – a pilot project with Good Shepherd NZ

Good Shepherd NZ are a non-profit organisation helping families on limited incomes through their Good Loans programme. This partnership provides a fair and affordable option to support BYOD in schools.

“We were seeing evidence of the digital divide within our school, through a slow uptake of our BYOD programme. We realised the finance options we had made available were not affordable for many families. While the cost of the device was a challenge, the high interest rates made the purchase very difficult especially for families with multiple children at school.”

– Lawrence Naicker, Deputy Principal, Manurewa High School

The BYOD loans are:

Available nationwide through the network of Community Loan Workers

Up to $1,500 with repayments up to 12 months
Have no interest or fees

Choose from a simple set of devices bundled with bags and Protection

Download Case Study

A dedicated individual approach

By offering Manurewa High School access to Good Loans as part of their BYOD programme, it offers families another financing option to help provide a more equitable solution. It’s not a one size fits all, where there is a set criteria for families to qualify for the loan.

As part of the process, the locally based Loan Worker meets with each client, working closely with them to determine their financial situation and the circumstances they are faced with. Part of the service is helping them with financial capability, which is invaluable for many of the families.

Together the school, Noel Leeming, and the local Loan Worker as part of the Good Shepherd programme have enabled access to the technology for families who previously could not afford it – with a high level of social consciousness and empathy while working with families, including advising them on how they can better manage their money.