This document has been drawn up in conjunction with the DENI Circular ‘Acceptable Use of The Internet’ and with updates taken account of the C2K provision and the expected impact of the ‘Empowering Schools’ document.

The statutory curriculum expects pupils to learn how to locate, retrieve and exchange information using ICT. In delivering the curriculum, teachers need to plan to integrate the use of communications technology such as web-based resources and e-mail. Computer skills are vital to access life-long learning and employment; indeed we must consider ICT a life-skill. Most technologies present risks as well as benefits. Internet use must be assessed and strategies used to minimise these risks.

Internet use for home, social and leisure activities is expanding and converging with television and telephone use. This brings young people into contact with a wide variety of information, some of which could be unsuitable. It is important that schools, libraries and youth clubs, as well as parents, adopt suitable strategies for the responsible and safe use of the Internet, appropriate for the whole-community.

ÿ    The purpose of Internet use in school is to raise educational standards, to promote pupil achievement, to support the professional work of staff and to enhance the school’s management information and business administration systems.

ÿ    Internet use is a part of the statutory curriculum and a necessary tool for staff and pupils.

ÿ    Internet access is an entitlement for students who show a responsible and mature approach to its use.

The Internet is an essential element in 21^st Century life for education, business and social interaction. The school has a duty to provide students with quality Internet access as part of their learning experience.

Benefits of using the Internet in education include:

Ø       Access to world-wide educational resources including museums and art galleries;

Ø       Inclusion in government initiatives such as the National Grid for Learning (NGfL), LNI, the use of Virtual Learning Tools.

Ø       Educational and cultural exchanges between pupils world-wide;

Ø       Cultural, vocational, social and leisure use in libraries, clubs and at home;

Ø      Access to experts in many fields for pupils and staff;

Ø      Staff professional development through access to national developments, educational materials and good curriculum practice;

Ø       Communication with support services, professional associations and colleagues

Core Principles of Internet Safety

The Internet is becoming as commonplace as the telephone, TV or books and its effective use is an essential life-skill. Unmediated Internet access brings with it the possibility placing pupils in embarrassing, inappropriate and even dangerous situations. As a consequence, a policy is required to help to ensure responsible use and the safety of pupils.

Guided Educational Use

Significant educational benefits should result from curriculum Internet use including access to information from around the world and the abilities to communicate widely and to publish easily. Internet use should be planned, task-orientated and educational within a regulated and managed environment. Directed and successful Internet use will also reduce the opportunities for activities of dubious worth.

Risk Assessment

21stCentury life presents dangers including violence, racism and exploitation from which children and young people need to be protected. At the same time they need to learn to recognise and avoid these risks – to become “Internet Wise”. Schools need to ensure they are fully aware of the risks, perform risk assessments and implement a policy for Internet use. Pupils need to know how to cope if they come across inappropriate material.

Assessments of the risks in Internet access by young persons in Youth Clubs, Libraries, public access points and in homes will need to be undertaken.

Responsibility

Internet safety depends on staff, schools, governors, advisers, parents and, where appropriate, the pupils themselves taking responsibility for the use of Internet and associated communication technologies. The balance between education for responsible use, regulation and technical solutions must be judged carefully.

Regulation

The use of a limited and expensive resource, which brings with it the possibility of misuse, must be regulated. In some cases access within schools must simply be denied, for instance unmoderated chat rooms present immediate dangers and are usually banned. Fair rules, clarified by discussion and prominently displayed will help pupils make responsible decisions.

Appropriate Strategies

This document describes strategies to help to ensure responsible and safe use. They are based on limiting access, developing responsibility and on guiding pupils towards educational activities. Strategies must be selected to suit the school situation and their effectiveness monitored. There are no straightforward or totally effective solutions and staff, parents and the pupils themselves must remain vigilant.

POLICY FOR THE ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE INTERNET

1. Staff and Pupils

Ø       The school Internet access has been designed by C2K expressly for pupil use and includes a high level of filtering appropriate to the age of pupils.

Ø       Staff will be allocated filtered e-mail for professional use and must be aware that all filtered items are held by C2K and can be viewed by the Principal. Where required other e-mail can also be viewed by the Principal or designated member of staff.

Ø       Pupils may be allocated filtered e-mail facilities through the C2K provision and must be aware that all filtered items are held by C2K and can be viewed by the Principal or a designated member of staff. Where required any other e-mail can also be viewed by the Principal or designated member of staff.

Ø       Pupils will be taught what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and given clear objectives for Internet use.

Ø       Internet access will be planned to enrich and extend learning activities. Access levels will be reviewed to reflect the curriculum requirements and age of pupils.

Ø       Staff should guide pupils in on-line activities that will support the learning outcomes planned for the pupils’ age and maturity.

Ø       Pupils will be educated in the effective use of the Internet in research, e-communication and e-learning.

Ø      to technical support including remote management of networks;

a) When using the Internet, all users must comply with all copyright, libel, fraud, discrimination and obscenity laws, and all school staff (both teachers and support staff) are expected to communicate in a professional manner consistent with the rules of behaviour governing employees in the education sector.

b) Pupils are responsible for their good behaviour on the school networks, just as they are on and off school premises. While the use of information and communication technologies is a required aspect of the statutory Northern Ireland Curriculum, access to the Internet and to C2K is a privilege not a right. It is given to pupils who act in a considerate and responsible manner, and should be withdrawn if they fail to maintain acceptable standards of use.

c) Staff should ensure that pupils know and understand that no Internet user is permitted to:

v     Retrieve, send, copy or display offensive messages or pictures;

v     Use obscene or racist language;

v      Harass, insult or attack others;

v     Damage computers, computer systems or computer networks;

v     Violate copyright laws;

v     Use another user’s password;

v     Trespass in another user’s folders, work or files;

v      Intentionally waste resources (such as on-line time and consumables);

v     Use the network for unapproved commercial purposes.

d) Use of the C2K and LNI must be in support of the aims and objectives of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.

2. Location and Supervision

a) The school will provide through an Internet Service Provider, a filtered service. All users should be aware that the school can and does track and record the sites visited, the searches made on the Internet and e-mail sent and received by individual users.

b) Internet access for pupils will be available only on computers that are in highly-used areas of the school such as classrooms, libraries, study rooms, computer laboratories and media centres. Machines, which are connected to the Internet, should be in full view of people circulating in the area.

c) While using the Internet at school, pupils should, where possible, be supervised. However, when appropriate, pupils may pursue electronic research independent of staff supervision if they have been granted permission. In all cases, pupils should be reminded of their responsibility to use these resources in line with the school policy on acceptable use.

d) The school will endeavour to ensure that all pupils understand how they are to use the Internet appropriately and why the rules exist

e) The Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system and ensure that users are using the system responsibly. While normal privacy is respected and protected by password controls, as with the Internet itself, users must not expect files stored on C2K servers to be absolutely private.

3. Examples of Acceptable and Unacceptable Use

a) On-line activities which are encouraged include, for example: the use of email and computer conferencing for communication between colleagues, between pupil(s) and teacher(s), between pupil(s) and pupil(s), between schools and industry; use of the Internet to investigate and research school subjects, cross-curricular themes and topics related to social and personal development; use of the Internet to investigate careers and Further and Higher education; the development of pupils’ competence in ICT skills and their general research skills.

b) b. On-line activities which are not permitted include, for example:

D       Searching, viewing and/or retrieving materials that are not related to the aims of the curriculum or future careers;

D       Copying, saving and/or redistributing copyright protected material, without approval;

D        Subscribing to any services or ordering any goods or services, unless approved by the principal;

D       Playing computer games or using other interactive ‘chat’ sites, unless specifically assigned by the teacher;

D        Using the network in such a way that use of the network by other users is disrupted (for example: downloading large files during peak usage times; sending mass email messages);

D       Publishing, sharing or distributing any personal information about a user (such as: home address; email address; phone number, etc.);

D        Any activity that violates a school rule.

4. Advice for Parents

a) While in school, teachers will guide pupils toward appropriate materials on the Internet. Outside school, parents or guardians bear the same responsibility for such guidance as they would normally exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, movies, radio and other media.

b) Appropriate home use of the Internet by children can be educationally beneficial, and can make a useful contribution to home and schoolwork. It should, however, be supervised, and parents should be aware that they are responsible for their children’s use of Internet resources at home.

c) Offering advice to parents is good practice and the college will therefore advise parents that it provides filtered and monitored access to the Internet for pupils and will draw to their attention appropriate guidance and advice on its use, which they might find helpful at home.

d) The following guidelines are proposed in the first instance:

¤        Parents should discuss with their children the rules for using the Internet and decide together when, how long, and what comprises appropriate use;

¤        Parents should get to know the sites their children visit, and talk to them about what they are learning;

¤        Parents should ensure that they give their agreement before their children give out personal identifying information in any electronic communication on the Internet, such as a picture, an address, a phone number, the school name, or financial information such as credit card or bank details. In this way they can protect their children (and themselves) from unwanted or unacceptable overtures from strangers, from unplanned expenditure and from fraud;

¤        Parents should encourage their children not to respond to any unwelcome, unpleasant or abusive messages, and to tell them if they receive any such messages or images. If the message comes from an Internet service connection provided by the school or by C2K, they should immediately inform the school.

The Internet Policy is part of the ICT Policy and School Development Plan and should relate to other policies including those for behaviour, for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and pastoral care.

Internet access must be appropriate for all members of the school community from youngest pupil to teacher and administrative staff. Systems to adapt the access profile to suit the pupil’s age and learning context are available. Older secondary pupils, as part of a supervised project, might need to access adult materials. For instance a course text or literary novel might include references to sexuality. Teachers may need to research areas including drugs, medical conditions, bullying, racism or harassment. In such cases, legitimate use will be recognised and restrictions removed temporarily.

Responsible Internet Use

Rules for Staff and Students

The school computer system provides Internet access to students and staff. This Responsible Internet Use statement will help protect students, staff and the school by clearly stating what is acceptable and what is not.

E  Access must only be made via the user’s authorised account and password, which must not be given to any other person.

E  School computer and Internet use must be appropriate to the student's education or to staff professional activity.

E  Copyright and intellectual property rights must be respected.

E  E-mail may only be sent when a member of staff permits this, and for curricular purposes only.

E  Users are responsible for e-mail they send and for contacts made.

E  E-mail should be written carefully and politely. As messages may be forwarded, e-mail is best regarded as public property.

E  Anonymous messages and chain letters must not be sent.

E  The use of public chat rooms is not allowed.

E  Use for personal financial gain, gambling, political purposes or advertising is forbidden.

E  The security of ICT systems must not be compromised, whether owned by the school or by other organisations or individuals.

E  Irresponsible use will result in the loss network access.

Individual user’s Internet access may be monitored, including Web and e-mail use. Files on the school system may be examined or deleted.