USE OF THE INTERNET IN BELFAST HIGH SCHOOL
1. Staff and Pupils
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 remains a privilege and 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 It is given to pupils who act in a considerate and responsible manner, and should be withdrawn if they fail to maintain acceptable standards of use.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:
• retrieve, send, copy or display offensive messages or pictures;
• use obscene or racist language;
• harass, insult or attack others;
• damage computers, computer systems or computer networks;
• violate copyright laws;
• use another user’s password;
• trespass in another user’s folders, work or files;
• intentionally waste resources (such as on-line time and consumables);
• use the network for unapproved commercial purposes.
d. Use of the C2K services by the Northern Ireland education community must be in support of the aims and objectives of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.
2. Location and Supervision
a. It is an absolute requirement that the school ensures that access to the Internet provided to staff and pupils through the chosen Service Provider is 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 in schools should 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 should ensure that all pupils understand how they are to use the Internet appropriately and why the rules exist.
e. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are using the system responsibly.
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. On-line activities which are not permitted include, for example:
• searching, viewing and/or retrieving materials that are not related to the aims of the curriculum or future careers;
• copying, saving and/or redistributing copyright protected material, without approval;
• subscribing to any services or ordering any goods or services, unless specifically approved by the school;
• playing computer games or using other interactive ‘chat’ sites, unless specifically assigned by the teacher;
• 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);
• publishing, sharing or distributing any personal information about a user (such as: home address; email address; phone number, etc.);
• 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 school work. 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 schools should therefore advise parents that they provide filtered and monitored access to the Internet for pupils, and consider drawing to their attention appropriate guidance and advice on its use which they might find helpful at home.
d. Such guidance and advice should include the following:
• 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 they should immediately inform the school.