NSW public primary schools will stop asking parents to buy laptops

If your child is at a NSW public primary school, you won’t be asked to buy them a laptop or tablet for class from 2027.

The NSW Government announced on 8 November that “no primary school will require students to bring their own device”. Where screens are used, students will get school-supplied technology instead.

No more laptop on the booklist

Some public primary schools run bring-your-own-device programs, which ask families to buy a laptop or tablet for class.

That requirement ends from 2027. Education Minister Prue Car put it bluntly: “There is no need for parents to fork out over a thousand dollars on an expensive laptop or tablet.”

Screens aren’t banned from primary classrooms. The release says students will use school-supplied technology “where it provides educational value”.

It doesn’t say how those devices will be paid for, or what happens to ones families have already bought.

High schools stay voluntary

Public high schools can keep their BYOD programs, but taking part remains voluntary. Students can’t be required to bring a device, and alternatives must be available. The government says it will monitor and evaluate BYOD use throughout 2027 “to inform future policy direction”. So high-school arrangements could change after that.

The current department policy, last updated in November 2025, still says schools “may choose” to run BYOD programs. It hasn’t yet been updated for the change.

Screen time gets a daily budget

The bigger change for classrooms is a set of limits on individual device use, such as laptops and tablets. They are recommended from day one of Term 1, 2027 and become mandatory in 2028.

The department’s guidelines set maximums, averaged across the week:

Year level	Maximum individual device time
Kindergarten to Year 2	15 minutes a day
Years 3–4	30 minutes a day
Years 5–6	45 minutes a day
Years 7–10	Up to a quarter of lesson time
Years 11–12	Up to half of lesson time

There are exemptions. They include devices a student needs for learning adjustments, translation devices, distance education and online testing. Some senior subjects, such as software engineering, are exempt too.

Pen, paper and no screen homework

Homework changes as well. There will be no screen-based homework before Year 5. From Year 5, teachers should set it only where it is more effective for learning.

Public schools will also give books to children at Kindergarten orientation from 2027. The announcement follows the government’s earlier move back to supervised pen-and-paper assessments. Car said learning to write by hand “is important for brain development and recall”.

The government points to Macquarie University research. It found 84% of high school students and 57% of primary students were distracted when using screens in class. Premier Chris Minns said “too much screen time is distracting kids from learning”.

Before you buy a school laptop

If you were about to buy a device for a child starting a primary BYOD program next year, check with the school first.

If a laptop for home is still on your list, our guide to checking whether a Black Friday tech discount is real can help you avoid paying too much.

The announcement covers public schools only.

Checklist

• Check your school’s 2027 booklist before buying a device. NSW public primary schools can no longer require families to supply a laptop or tablet from 2027.
• Ask the school what it will supply. Find out which school-supplied devices your child will use in class, and when.
• Check the high school’s BYOD plan. Public high school BYOD stays voluntary in 2027, so ask what alternative the school offers if you don’t send a device.
• Ask how your school will meet the device limits. From Term 1, 2027, the recommended maximum is 15 minutes a day on average for Kindergarten to Year 2, 30 minutes for Years 3–4 and 45 minutes for Years 5–6.
• Expect offline homework before Year 5. No screen-based homework is to be set before Year 5.