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Internet
in schools [ News: Protecting
Children on the internet ]
PC's are excellent
tools for education, like most lessons that encourage experiments
and interaction, abuse and misuse is almost a certainty, how many
chemistry labs have witnessed near-bomb making experiments? How
can it be prevented? Computer abuse in schools isn't about swearing
at or beating up the PC monitor, but mischief and misuse.
Technology is
about discovery and the Internet is a fantastic resource. When we
teach students how to research topics, use search engines and find
images, are they really going to avoid those websites that show
images that they wouldn't show their parents?
Let's take a scenario; if your classroom's computers are unfiltered
and some smart student finds a very questionable website with child
porn or other hard-core sexually explicit site and downloads it.
Has a criminal offence has been committed? Does liability go beyond
the student that downloaded the website? What is the schools legal
position?
The U.S. Supreme Court placed the onus on schools to shield students
from online indecency.
In the UK all schools have a responsibility to filter both access
at school and any access pupils are given as part of home-school
links. Parents too have a moral responsibility to sensor and filter
their children's' online environment.
Schools and parents probably don't communicate when it comes to
internet policy and creating a balance on what is safe, is a tough
call.
It isn't just
about downloading porn or even mild sexual images, it's also about
blocking downloads until the user seeks permission. This applies
to games, music, images, video and peer-to-peer programs. Helping
to secure and protect the PC against spy ware and viruses including
the downloading of copyright and illegal material.
Privacy protection is extremely important, especially on home computers
where sensitive information is stored. Online banking information,
credit cards, addresses phone numbers, all the information that
someone may find useful in cases of identity theft.
Some filtering software is designed for children and limits Internet
activity based on time allowances.
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