Technology is by now a core part of everyday teaching.
School program
Parent Funded Devices
A sustainable way to bring iPad and Mac into the classroom by partnering with families, even without dedicated public funding.
The Parent Funded Devices (PFD) program lets primary and secondary schools build a 1:1 classroom with Apple devices managed by the institution and purchased by families at school-only conditions. Kyron, an Apple Authorised Education Specialist, stays alongside the school for the whole journey: MDM setup, staff training, ongoing technical support and commercial bundles tailored to parents.
Public funding is neither continuous nor enough to cover every classroom.
Parent funded devices make 1:1 programs genuinely scalable.
A growing trend
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) approaches have been spreading in schools for years, ranging from centrally managed deployments to families being completely free to choose. Futuresource's analyses, however, highlight how the lack of shared rules around devices brought to class is creating issues in classroom management, safety and student wellbeing. When the fleet is not managed, schools end up dealing with unreliable technical support, inequality between students, insufficient teacher training and a barely sustainable IT workload.
What PFDs are
Parent Funded Devices should be treated as a fully institutional purchase: the school requests them, defines the configuration and supervises them, while families cover the cost. Unlike BYOD devices — which are personal property bought at retail — PFDs stay inside a managed perimeter: same model, same setup, same policies for every student in the class.
PFD vs BYOD
Parent Funded Devices (PFD)
- Bought through an Apple Authorised Education Specialist
- Funded by families at school-only conditions
- Configured, controlled and supervised by the school via MDM
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- Bought by families through the retail channel
- Funded by families with no school intermediation
- Minimal or no control by the IT department
Why PFDs work for families
Three real concerns for the adult who decides at home whether to put a device in their child's hands — and how Kyron addresses them with the school.
Online safety
According to a Safer Internet Centre report, 74% of parents fear the online world exposes children to real risks.
PFD devices are fully managed: the school's IT team filters web content, restricts access to specific categories and sites, blocks the installation of unapproved apps and disables the App Store when needed.
Screen time
UNESCO points out that prolonged usage can affect self-control, emotional stability and overall student wellbeing.
With Apple School Manager and MDM the school enforces usage hours, study modes and profiles that switch off distractions; many solutions also let parents manage the device outside school hours.
Cost for the family
A Parentkind survey shows 47% of parents struggle with school-related costs, and one in six is concerned about the cost of technology.
Kyron offers families education pricing, trade-in options on the old device, instalment financing and bundles that include accessories and AppleCare coverage — easing the upfront economic impact.
Let's build the PFD program for your school
Needs analysis, device line-up, dedicated conditions for families, MDM and staff training: a single point of contact from design to classroom delivery.