Macs in Education: Messages and iPhone mirroring

If your school owns the computers, you could

• Create local accounts without Admin privileges for the students to use.
• Turn on Screen Time (in those accounts), set application limits, and set passcodes (that you don't give to the students) to lock the Screen Time settings.

Apple's Support documents seem to indicate that you can turn on Screen Time for yourself, and lock it with a passcode for yourself – even outside of a Famly Sharing scenario, so this might work. I won't guarantee that it is foolproof.

Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

Screen Time on Mac - Apple Support

In a school where computers owned by the school are enrolled in a MDM management setup, there may be controls available through it. I am not familiar with that.

Choose a mobile device management solution - Apple Support

If the students or their parents own these computers, then of course you would have no right to do this.

Whaaaaaaat??????

Why on earth are you so concerned with iPhones, or Messages, for that matter?

In an education environment, one should be more concerned with helping students make good use of the brilliant technology we now have available, instead of issuing blanket prohibitions.

As an educator myself, it sads me that what could be immensely useful educational tools are used incredibly poorly, by adults as well as youngsters. Make them use these tools in a way that helps enhance their education, not surrender their phones when they enter school premises, for fear of.... (of what, really?).

Carlos Garcia5 wrote:

< Create local accounts without• Admin privileges for the students to use.

They have MacBooks with non-admin network accounts. I wrote a script requiring an admin password to open messages, but it seems to only work on local accounts.

Setting app limits for Messenger is a good idea (I'll try it tomorrow). Our district is primarily PC based, and our tech people are too and don't know how to use Macs and dislike them (because they don't know how to use or manage them).

Sounds like you are not very tech knowledgeable or experienced. Leave the tech configuration and management to the IT staff. They have enough to deal with other than with users wanting their own personal preferences implemented rather than abide by the District/Organization's policies. If you have a tech concern/desire, contact the organization's IT Manager and have them consider your request.