Introduction
Irish secondary schools are at a turning point. With Senior Cycle reform reshaping the way students learn and demonstrate their skills, technology is no longer a nice-to-have - it’s essential for learning, assessment, and future readiness. iPad has become a powerful tool for supporting digital portfolios, collaborative projects, and creative assessment methods.
But for many school leaders, the biggest challenge is not the “why” of iPad, but the “how.” Funding is unpredictable, IT grants are often delayed, and capital budgets are already stretched. That leaves principals with a difficult question:
Should we pay to own devices outright or pay to use them through a leasing model?
The Challenge of Paying to Own
When schools purchase iPads outright, they face:
- Large upfront costs that consume a significant portion of budgets.
- Unpredictable repair and replacement expenses over the device’s life.
- Outdated devices after several years, without the means to refresh.
- Rigid budgets tied up in ownership rather than flexible planning.
This “pay to own” approach creates financial stress and can slow down innovation. Devices often remain in use long after their effective learning life, simply because the budget for upgrades isn’t available.
The Benefits of Paying to Use
Leasing isn’t about having less ownership; it’s about having more flexibility. Leasing flips the model. Instead of paying to own, schools pay to use technology across a fixed term. The benefits are clear:
- Lower upfront investment: no need for a large capital outlay.
- Predictable monthly payments: easier budgeting and financial planning.
- Regular refresh cycles: ensuring students and teachers always have current devices.
- Reduced risk: support and services can be bundled, lowering the burden on school IT staff.
- Sustainability: devices are returned, refurbished, and reused—supporting environmental responsibility.
By treating technology as a service rather than an asset, schools can align their budgets with actual usage and curriculum needs. In other words, paying to use technology keeps schools agile, while paying to own ties them down.
The Apple Advantage: High Residual Value
Not all devices are created equal when it comes to leasing. One of Apple’s biggest advantages is its high residual value—the retained worth of an iPad or Mac even after years of use.
This benefits schools in several ways:
- Lower leasing costs: Because Apple devices hold their value, leasing providers can offer more competitive monthly payments.
- Smoother refresh cycles: The residual value of returned devices offsets the cost of new ones, making upgrades more affordable.
- Sustainability impact: Returned Apple devices are refurbished or recycled, extending their lifecycle and reducing waste.
For schools, this means leasing Apple devices isn’t just financially smarter upfront—it stays cost-effective in the long run.
How Leasing Works in Practice
Leasing agreements are simple. Schools commit to using devices over a term—typically three to four years—with fixed monthly payments. At the end of the term, they can upgrade, extend, or return devices.
Example comparison:
- Pay to own: 30 iPad A16 128GB devices at €320 each = €9,600 upfront, plus additional costs for support, repairs, and replacements over 3–4 years. This large capital outlay can put pressure on already stretched school budgets.
- Pay to use: 30 iPad A16 128GB devices leased at a fixed monthly or quarterly rate, with the option to include support and training in the plan. No large upfront investment, predictable payments aligned with funding cycles, and devices can be upgraded after the lease term—keeping technology aligned with curriculum needs.
This approach treats iPads as an operational cost, not a capital burden—exactly what schools need when funding cycles are uncertain.
Introducing Class Act: A Leasing Solution for Irish Schools
At Select Education, we designed Class Act to help Irish schools make the shift from paying to own to paying to use Apple technology. It’s a leasing solution created specifically for the education sector, giving schools flexibility, predictability, and support in one package.
With Class Act, schools can:
- Customise the agreement to include teacher training, charging and storage solutions, technical training, ongoing support, power adapters, licensing, and more.
- Tailor the programme beyond iPad to include Mac and other hardware, covering all teaching and learning needs.
- Save up to 10% with our Single-Upfront Payment (SUP) option, if funding allows.
- Choose Class Act Upgrade for lower payments over 48 months, with the option to upgrade after 36 months at no additional cost—keeping technology aligned with curriculum reforms without adding financial strain.
Class Act provides a clear, sustainable path forward: one that ensures schools can adopt iPad 1:1 programmes today while staying financially flexible for tomorrow.
Conclusion
The reality is simple: paying to use technology through leasing is smarter than paying to own it outright. It gives Irish secondary schools the tools they need for the Senior Cycle, without the uncertainty and stress of capital-heavy purchases.
With Class Act, Select Education makes leasing even more powerful—combining flexibility, support, and sustainability into one programme tailored for Irish schools.