We are actively working towards having HandwritingBot unblocked within NSW government schools; however, this process is ongoing.

In the meantime, we would like to offer all current NSW government school subscribers free access until this is fixed.

Teachers can continue using HandwritingBot by hotspotting from a personal device (it appears that the department’s restrictions are specifically targeted at student access). We are also pursuing the immediate removal of the block on teacher logins; however, navigating this process has been challenging without principal-level access to departmental communication channels. Student access will be a longer process of accreditation as outlined later in this email.

How Free Access Will Work:

• Anyone with an active subscription can continue using Handwritingbot.
• If your subscription is set to renew, just let us know—we’ll make sure you aren’t charged. This applies to both monthly and annual plans.
• Once Handwritingbot access is restored, regular subscription billing will resume. Any time the service was blocked will be directly refunded.
• If teacher access is restored but student access remains blocked, we’ll begin charging 50% of the regular subscription fee.

The primary concern raised pertains to student access and the protection of student data. While we have ensured that all data is stored securely within Australia and that only students’ first names are recorded—no additional personal information is collected—we have not yet received any specific feedback from EDU Connect regarding other potential issues.

To address these concerns, we have initiated the application process for the Safe Technology for Schools (ST4S) accreditation. This will solve all issues; however, a definitive timeline for how long this will take is not yet available.