Scoil Chaitríona Naíonáin Internet Acceptable Use Policy
Scoil Chaitríona Naíonáin
Measc Avenue
Coolock
Dublin 5
Introduction
The Internet is an essential element for education, business and social interaction. Internet use is part of the revised curriculum and a necessary tool for education. The purpose of Internet use in Scoil Chaitriona Infants 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.
This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) will address all rights, privileges, responsibilities and sanctions associated with access to and use of the Internet in Scoil Chaitriona Infants.
The AUP will be revised regularly.
Aims
The aim of our Acceptable Use Policy is to ensure that pupils, teachers and parents will benefit from the learning opportunities offered by the school’s Internet resources in a safe, responsible and effective manner.
Internet use and access is considered a school resource and privilege. Therefore, if the school AUP is not adhered to, this privilege will be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions – as outlined in the AUP – will be imposed.
Staff/People employed by the school/student teachers/volunteers etc who breach the AUP may be dealt with by the Board of Management’s disciplinary procedures and/or child protection procedures. *See School’s Child Protection Policy.
Strategies
The school will employ a number of strategies in order to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet.
These strategies are as follows:
General :
- Teachers will have the required webpage/ game open on their school laptop before turning on the interactive whiteboard.
- Systems including filtering software / ad blocker will be used in order to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material.
- The school will regularly monitor Internet usage.
- Internet sessions will always be supervised.
- Students will not have access to passwords.
- Uploading and downloading of non-approved software will not be permitted.
- Virus protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis.
- The use of personal memory sticks, pen drives, CD-ROMs or DVDs in school requires permission and all external software must be scanned with anti-virus softwarebefore use.
World Wide Web
- Sites that the children use in school will be previewed by their teacher before use.
- Only Teachers will have access to Google chrome search engine on the school laptops.
Teachers will be familiar with copyright issues relating to online learning. - Google chrome will not be permanently downloaded on the school iPads.
Email
- The teacher should set one e-mail address for classes for work online with partner schools.
- Emails will be opened by a teacher and printed for children who are participating in such projects.School Website:
- Pupils will be given the opportunity to publish projects, artwork and school work on the World Wide Web with parental permission.
- The publication of student work will be co-ordinated by a teacher.
- Pupils’ work will appear in an educational context on Web pages with a copyright notice prohibiting the copying of such work without written permission.
- Digital photographs, audio or video clips of individual students will not be published on the school website.
- Instead, photographs, audio and video clips will focus on group activities and these will be published with permission using the school’s standard permission form.
- Personal pupil information including name, home address and contact details will be omitted from school web pages.
- Pupils will continue to own the copyright on any work published.
Taking and sharing of photographs on the school website.
- Photographs of children must be taken on the school camera or the school iPad and not on personal phones.
- Photographs are only to be used for their intended purpose.
- Photographs, audio and video clips will focus on group activities and these will be published with parent’s permission using the school’s standard permission form.
- Photographs of children taken by a community group will only include children whose parents have given written consent.
- Personal pupil information including name, home address and contact details will be omitted from school web pages.
Legislation
Internet users have been made aware of legislation relating to use of the Internet.
- Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003 http://justice.ie/80256E010039E882/vWeb/pcJUSQ5YUHTP-en
- Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 – http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA22Y1998.html
- Interception Act 1993 – http://www.acts.ie/zza10y1993.1.html
- Video Recordings Act 1989 – http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA22Y1989.html
- The Data Protection Act 1988 –http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA25Y1988.html
Support Structures
Websites offering support and advice in the area of Internet Safety:
- NCTE – http://www.ncte.ie/InternetSafety/
- Webwise – http://www.webwise.ie/
- Make IT Secure – http://makeitsecure.ie
- Safe Internet- http://www.saferinternet.org/ww/en/pub/insafe/
The following guides/manuals are available in school:
Be Wise on the Net …Information and Advice for Schools NCTE
Internet Safety Awareness Education Programme Teachers’ Handbook SAFT Project (NCTE)
Sanctions
Misuse of the Internet may result in disciplinary action according to the School’s Code of Conduct, and/or the school’s Anti Bullying Policy and/or the school’s Child Protection Policy. The Code of Conduct includes written warnings, notification of parents, withdrawal of access privileges and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion.
*Please Refer to School’s Code of Conduct/Anti Bullying Policy/Child Protection Policy for further information.
The school also reserves the right to report any illegal activities to the appropriate authorities.