Student sample for assessment
Written by a Year 7 student.
Dear Principal and Community Board,
I am writing to argue that our school should not accept the technology company's offer of free tablets in exchange for data collection on student device use. While I understand the appeal — free technology is attractive — the privacy concerns for young people outweigh the benefits. Here is my reasoning. First, the company would collect data on what apps we open, what content we access, and how long we spend on tasks. This is not anonymous data about general patterns; it is detailed information about individual student behaviour. Even if the company claims not to sell this data, collection itself creates risk. Collected data can be breached, hacked, or misused. Young people cannot change their choices once recorded; the data exists indefinitely. Second, free technology is not actually free. We would pay with our behaviour. That payment is not equivalent. Tablets cost money once; data about our learning behaviour and interests has ongoing value and ongoing risk. We are not in a position to negotiate fairly — the company has resources we do not. Third, our school could pursue other funding. Grants exist for educational technology. Fundraising could happen. The fact that a free option exists does not mean it is the best option. The cost to students' privacy is too high for the convenience of not fundraising. I recognise that tablets would genuinely help learning, and that many schools face budget pressure. But privacy of minors is not something to trade away lightly. We have a legal right to protection. If the school accepts, it signals to students that companies' convenience matters more than our privacy. I urge the board to decline this offer and instead pursue funding that does not require trading student data. Our learning can improve without compromising our privacy. Yours sincerely, A Year 7 student