SkieCan students still call home on a managed device?
Yes, unless the organisation chooses otherwise. Calls are allowed by default, and hostel night mode can keep calls available while other apps are locked. Outgoing calls and SMS can be switched off by policy for devices that should not use them. Skie does not read call logs or listen to calls.
On a managed phone, calling works as it normally does. The switch to disable outgoing calls is optional and off by default. An organisation that wants a lessons-only device can turn it on, and everyone else leaves it alone.
Hostels are the case that worries parents most. Night mode is a schedule that switches the allowed apps on a timetable, with days, start and end times and allowed apps, and a window can run overnight. Calls can stay allowed during night mode, so a child can reach home even when games and social apps are locked.
Tablets are different. A Wi-Fi-only tablet cannot make phone calls, and Skie does not include a mobile plan or SIM. If parents need a way to reach their child on a school tablet, check what calling apps your policy allows and test them on your Wi-Fi. Contacts-only calling is not available yet.
Emergencies need to be written down. Say how a student contacts a parent, how a parent contacts the school and what to do when a phone is lost. For parents using the Skie parents product, an SOS button calls the emergency number set by the parent.
A practical tip: put one sentence in your parent letter, such as students can call home at any time during the day and night. If you have restricted phones during school hours, say how the office will pass messages. It is the first thing parents worry about.