The Internet is an excellent resource for education as it offers access to millions of pages of information and resources. It is a very valuable learning tool, but  it is not controlled by any particular organisation and, as a result, there are risks involved with its use. However, with appropriate precautions, it is possible to greatly minimise the risks involved. The potential benefits for students and teachers using this technology far outweigh any risks involved.

Risks Associated with the Internet

There are three main categories of risk associated with children using the Internet.

Ø       Exposure to illegal and/or harmful images and text, whether violent, racist or explicit in nature.

Ø     Receipt of messages that are demeaning, threatening or in other ways disturbing or detrimental to a child's wellbeing.

Ø       The possibility of being lured into a physical encounter that might threaten a child's safety and wellbeing.

What can you do to make surfing safer?

How can schools address these problems and offer a safe learning environment for students without limiting their access to relevant information?

• Ensure that your school has a written Acceptable Use Policy, and that is communicated to all.

• Use Internet filtering software to enforce the policy – find out what your LEA or ISP use and how thy have set it up.

• Restrict access to certain online facilities by user, time of day etc. This is done using the appropriate monitoring software (e.g. Websense, Clearswift etc.)

• Supervise internet use (especially recreational), and moderate chat rooms when used.

School Acceptable Use Policy

The school should develop a policy for acceptable use of the Internet in partnership with parents. This policy         should address all rights, privileges and responsibilities associated with Internet and online service usage. It should incorporate a code of conduct, which should be agreed by all participants and incorporated in the school's ICT plan. The penalties for breaching the code must be stated clearly to all.

Netiquette

Netiquette refers to Internet etiquette - it embodies the concept of appropriate behaviour in all online activities (e.g., sending e-mail, posting messages to forums or participating in online chat sessions). In a school context, supervising teachers act as the  arbiters of 'netiquette' and their role is crucial in protecting and guiding children during online activities.

Adequate supervision of children is vital, just as it is in the case of television or video viewing. Controlling access to the sites and services visited by children and ensuring that they act responsibly while online are important steps in the process. Children should be informed that their online activities will be monitored and that they are accountable for their behaviour. Other steps to be taken include:

Ø       Close monitoring of children's activities during Internet sessions

Ø       Advising students to use moderated chat rooms only

Ø       Preventing e-mail attachments from unsolicited or unknown sources being opened

Ø       Directing online activities to previously evaluated educational resources or previously sourced safe sites

Ø      Installing appropriate blocking/filtering software - this software, while not entirely foolproof, will greatly reduce the risk of deliberate or inadvertent access to undesirable material

      Prohibiting registration or the signing of visitors' books at Web sites without permission

E-mail and Chat

The school's Acceptable Use Policy should contain guidelines for participation in Internet sessions, web-based chat, or e-mail correspondence. These guidelines should include the following information:

No personal information about the child, the child's family, teachers or the school is to be disclosed without permission from the teacher supervising the session

Any encounter with information or a message that threatens, demeans or otherwise makes the child feel uncomfortable must be reported to the teacher supervising the session and under no circumstances should a response be made to such a message

On no account should a child make arrangements for an unsupervised meeting with any other online  correspondent without permission

If permission is obtained, any planned meeting should be supervised and should occur in a public place Pictures or images, which might assist in identifying an individual, should not be transmitted without permission

Use of a full or last name in online correspondence should not occur without permission

What next?

Use best of breed software tools to implement email and Web communication e-policies. This software works in harmony with existing security measures to detect and prevent inappropriate content, offensive or malicious content entering, circulating or leaving your IT system. Good examples of such tools are Websense and Clearswift, and these are often deployed in addition to the simple URL blocking sometimes provided by LEAs and ISPs.