Frequently Asked Questions

Choice of Device

1 . What is the device bundle selected by the school (2024)?

2 . What considerations does the school have in selecting the Chromebook as the choice of device? Is there an option to a different device with a top-up?
The Chromebook is the prescribed device bundle for the school.

Our curriculum and technological plans leverage learning activities via Google Suite and Google Classroom. The recent provisioning of Student iCON will enable students to learn via their Google account. Most of the other tools are also accessible by Chrome browser online and do not require installation or high computing power.

We therefore narrowed our choice to Chromebook, which operates on Chrome browser and is auto updated. It also has a fast boot time and long battery life that can allow teachers to manage the blended learning in the classroom as students switch from learning activities without the Chromebooks to those that require it.

The selected Chromebook suits the learning needs of our students as it is not overpowered and offers less distractions to teaching and learning. It is an affordable device for the profile of all KC students and helps to establish a common-device environment to support the students and teachers more effectively.

Purchase of Device

3 . How do we purchase the device through the school?
Parents with Singpass can indicate your consent for the purchase of the device through the school at this link: https://go.gov.sg/pdlpadmin
A copy of the letter for procurement is available to parents without SingPass. Kindly make your request to the General Office.

4 . How do we check the amount of Edusave fund available in our child's/ward's (for Singapore Citizen) account?
You can call 6260 0777 (24-hours automated hotline) to check your child's/ward's Edusave balance.

5 . Can we use Edusave to purchase a different laptop model on our own?
No, Edusave funds can only be used for the chosen model facilitated by the school through MOE's bulk tender.

6 . How can I apply for financial assistance for the purchase of the PLD?
Each student will receive a personalised bill which reflects the subsidy that matches her financial situation, if applicable. MOE FAS do not need to apply for subsidy.

Other Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and International Students who require financial assistance and meet the income criteria of Gross Household Income (GHI) $4,400 or less, or Per Capita Income (PCI) $1,100 or less, may apply for financial assistance through the General Office.

If you are recently retrenched, please produce a “Letter of Retrenchment” from your company. When assessing GHI and PCI of needy International Students, parent’s income refers to the income of parents who may be residing overseas, not the local guardian’s income. Electronic signatures are acceptable in the application if the parents are residing overseas.

7 . Can my child/ward not purchase the device?
Every student is required to have a device for teaching and learning purposes and is encouraged to purchase one through the school via MOE’s bulk tender.

8 . Can we use our existing device or purchase our own?
Students can only use Chromebook (running on ChromeOS) as their PLD in the school to be installed with Device Management Application (DMA) software to provide a safe learning experience for the child/ward. Besides preventing misuse of the PLD, the uniformity of PLDs in a class would ensure a smooth learning experience for all. The PLD purchased through the school will come with the necessary warranty and insurance as well. Parents who choose to opt out of this bulk purchase will be informed to have your child/ward bring the *existing device (*ONLY Chromebook is allowed) to school for suitability assessment. We will reach out to parents individually to arrange for the assessment, between 18 to 22 Jan.

We highly recommend that the existing Chromebook should support the following:

- 11.6 inch and above display [to avoid eyestrain]
- Intel N100 and above Processor [for sufficient speed]
- 8GB of RAM [for sufficient speed]
- 64GB of Storage space
- Stylus support (Student will be required to annotate and draw on the PLD)
- Battery must be able to hold the charge for 10 hours, for lessons and after school-hours (CCA time)
- Able to receive Google Auto Update at least till 2028

We would like to highlight that if the student-owned device is assessed to be unsuitable, parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to give their consent at this link https://go.gov.sg/pdlpadmin to procure the school chosen device.

9 . Can students who require help with funding get a 2nd hand device?
Every student is encouraged to purchase a device through the school via the MOE Device Bulk Tender.
All Singaporean students are supported by MOE in purchasing a device. Students may approach the school if they require financial assistance.

10 . Do I need to purchase 2 devices if I have 2 children/wards studying in the school?
Yes, each child/ward would need to have her own learning device in school daily and for learning after school, hence it might not be practical to share the device with their siblings.

11 . What is DMA and how does it provide a safe learning experience for my child to prevent misuse of the device?
The DMA can:

1 . Remotely deploy teaching and learning applications as well as security patches
2 . Enable teachers to monitor and control the students’ screens during lessons
3 . Restrict apps and websites accessibility, as well as screen time during specified hours

There will be default setting on web content filtering decided by the school for students to focus on learning in a safe and conducive online environment. Certain Chrome apps or extensions will also be installed to support teaching and learning.

Following school hours, the PLD will come under the DMA settings from 7 am to 6 pm, which also caters for use of device during CCAs and after-school programmes.

Parents can choose from three options of control over DMA past 6 pm:

• Keep to the Default settings: the Chromebook will follow the same DMA settings set by the school

• Option A: Parents can exercise control by adjusting the screen time or restrictions.

• Option B: Disable the DMA entirely and manage your child’s use of the Chromebook entirely on your own. This would mean that you are not using the DMA to limit screen time, monitor usage activities or control the installation of any apps.

12 . For personal devices approved by the school, will the DMA be installed?
All PLDs must be installed with the DMA before they can be used in school. Students who do not wish to purchase a device because they already have their own device will have to seek approval from the school before they can pursue this option.

The school will ascertain whether the specifications of their existing device are on par with the school’s chosen device model. Upon approval, the school will assist to install the DMA in the student’s existing device, which can be uninstalled from the device upon the student’s graduation.

Software and Apps Installation

13 .   What software will be loaded onto the device?
To support the development of digital literacies, MOE will be rolling out the following applications in the PLDs progressively after Student iCON rollout: Google Suite for Education, Microsoft Office productivity suite which includes only Word. Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote & Publisher, and Zoom.

14 .  Will an antivirus programme be installed in the device?
The Chromebook does not come with an antivirus programme as the Google Chrome OS has a range of security features to protect users from falling victim to malware, viruses and other threats. In addition, all updates and security patches for the device will be managed backend by MOE / school and pushed down remotely via the DMA.

15 . Is it possible to use the Chromebook apps offline?
Chromebook can, if necessary, be set up to work without internet access. Using the Chromebook offline will create some limitations to the usage of the apps, especially for collaborative work.

Students from low-income households will continue to be supported for subsidized broadband under IMDA’s digital access schemes. More information on IMDA’s digital access schemes can be found at https://www.imda.gov.sg/ha

16 . Will this Chromebook be able to support the use of Zoom app?
As of 21 September 2020, Zoom Video Communications, Inc has updated the Chrome Web Store app to optimize CPU usage for all Chrome devices so that everyone using Zoom on a Chromebook has an easy-to-use, reliable experience.

Collection of Device

17 . Where do we collect the device after the purchase?
The school will make arrangement for students to collect their devices in the school.

18 . When will the girls get their PLD?
The PLDs are projected to be delivered in March 2024.

19 . Will the school let the child know what to look out for when collecting the PLD?
A briefing will be conducted for all students on the PLDs. Students will learn more about their PLDs in this briefing.

Use of Device

20 .Will having a Chromebook replace textbooks?
The Chromebook will not replace textbooks, as textbooks are currently designed as curriculum-aligned reference. Students can use the Chromebook to complement learning from textbooks with access to curriculum-aligned resources in the SLS.

21 . Are students expected to bring their PLDs to school daily? What is the expected weight of the device?
The students should bring a fully charged PLD to school daily.  This is part of school-wide learning routines. Lockers are available for rental if students wish to store their books in school. As we are creating a Blended Learning environment for learning to take place anywhere, anytime, online, offline, the students would need to bring their device to school daily to benefit from this enhanced learning environment.

MOE has considered factors such as size and weight of devices when preparing the tender specifications for the Bulk Tender. The size of our school’s chosen device is 11.6" and its weight is 1.3 kg.

22 . Will there be a pool of devices to be loaned to students should there be a situation where their devices malfunction?
The school will provide devices for short-term loan due to loss or repairs, subject to the availability of devices available for loan.

23 . If my child/ward forgets to bring the PLD to school, can she still catch up with the lesson which may be conducted online in class?
Students will be reminded to bring their devices as part of her daily learning routine. For emergency cases, as assessed and recommended by teachers, a device may be loaned to her for that day, subject to the availability of devices available for loan.

24 . Are there plans to avail power outlets for charging in school /during class?
Charging facilities will be available in the school library. This is only for emergency use as students are expected to be responsible for charging their PLD the night before and bringing a fully-charged PLD to school the next day.

Warranty and Repair

25 . If the device becomes faulty or requires change in parts, does the school do the repair or should students/parents resolve that themselves?

• Technical support will be provided to students through:

• Service-desk set up in school during breaks and after school

• Lenovo Service Center, located at Tai Seng Centre.

• Acer Service Center, located at International Business Park.

26 . Who will bear the cost of repair?
If the device is damaged, the parents/student can report it to the school. The school will coordinate with the vendor on the assessment of damage and repairs. If there are additional cost, the vendor will contact the parents/student before proceeding with the repair. All additional cost for repairs will be borne by the parents/students if not covered by insurance.

Edusave funds cannot be used to pay for the cost of repairs.

If the device is damaged beyond economical repair and is not covered by insurance (coverage against damage and loss/theft), the replacement device will have to be paid for by the parents/student.

27 . What if the student loses the device?
The PLD is bundled with 3-year insurance and 3-year warranty, which allows for two repairs or one replacement.

The insurance coverage is only applicable to situations of damage and loss where the student has taken precautions to safeguard the device. A police report will have to be made for the insurance claim. Accidental loss due to negligence is not covered by insurance and a new PLD will have to be purchased by the parents/student. The school will assist in purchasing a replacement PLD.

28 . Since the warranty/insurance covers 3 years, what is the arrangement beyond 3 years?
The insurance and warranty bundled in the school-purchased device covers 3 years. If the insurance/warranty has expired, or the replacement is not covered under the insurance/warranty (e.g. due to negligence, student has already received a replacement device earlier), school can help to facilitate the second  purchase.  Students can use their Edusave to pay for a new device and lower-income family can apply for subsidy.

Extended warranty beyond 3 years for the computing device is not available in the open market. It would be very costly to incorporate such a requirement and it makes more economical sense to replace the device when it is beyond economical repair after 3 years.

29 . What happens to the device ownership upon graduation?
The Chromebook bundle deal entitles parents/student the ownership of the device and accessories. Chromebook runs on Chrome OS and will continue to be updated to the latest version of Chrome whenever available if the default auto-update settings are kept. The Chromebook will continue to be updated beyond its warranty of 3 years.