School computers are riddled with spyware & proprietary software, the fact that they use windows is bad enough, but then you are forced to use edge or chrome and other proprietary software and often you are blocked from installing open source alternatives like librewolf or duck duck go may be blocked.
What I am asking is, how can we get around this, do i just need to bring my own laptop using FOSS privacy respecting software. or is there another way around this. Thanks for the help.
This is the correct answer. It may be worthwhile to advocate for more privacy conscious IT in public institutions but you'll be up against a huge amount of corporate lobbying.
I've heard of parents being successful at it before. But it took a little group of them. They got together and approach their kids school. They used a positive approach. Not confrontational. More like we have these privacy concerns. But we want to work together with the school on them.
I lost the link now, it was years ago. But they were successful in getting alternatives for the worst "ed-tech" spywares.