As a parent I am 100% in support of using technology in education however I need some convincing that giving Internet-ready portable devices to primary school children (or 12 year olds for that matter) is wise - particularly from a security perspective. Most people are aware of the child protection issues surrounding the Internet - such as cyber-bullying, access to adult material, the dark side of social networking....and worse. At home, many parents give their child access to the Internet but in a shared space such as the lounge - thus making it much easier to regulate time spent on the web and what's being viewed. With an iPad that flies out of the window so I would want to be damn sure there are appropriate safeguards in place - and as an IT professional I wouldn't be easily fobbed off. - Will the devices be encrypted in case they are stolen to prevent people getting access to a childs personal data - or even contact details? This technology is available through Apple but needs to be enabled. - How would Internet usage be regulated outside of the school environment? For example are there plans to set devices to automatically connect via a VPN to the school network - with any other access blocked? This way Internet access would only be possible through a network where all usage is content checked and logged. Would parents be allowed to view logs of their childs web usage? - Will they allow parents the facility to be able to remotely view the screen at any time whilst the device connected to the network? This technology is already available but would probably require investment. These are just a few questions I would have. I think the idea of leveraging technology is excellent in principle, but as someone posted in the other thread - change is good IF it's done right.
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
