Fife Council Education Service INTERNET USE POLICY Acceptable use of the Internet in Schools (Summer 2008) This policy sets out the expectations of the Education Service in relation to internet use within schools. It intends to ensure safe and responsible practice and to clarify respective responsibilities. Advantages to pupils of the use of ICT ICT meets the needs of education in Scotland as it can: Improve pupil achievement and attainment Enhance motivation and attitudes to learning Increase the skills needed for independent learning and research Offer opportunities to extend and enhance creativity and diversity in the curriculum Assist, develop and improve teaching approaches Extend teachers’ professional skills Contribute to a positive ethos within schools Facilitate access to the curriculum for all pupils Enhance support for learning programmes Extend the learning environment to the wider community Equip pupils with the skills necessary to prosper in society It is vital that we develop in children skills and attitudes that equip them for our increasingly technological society and to meet the four capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence. To do this we all have to work within a framework, which allows for safety and security and raises awareness of issues affecting school and the wider community. This acceptable use policy identifies the respective responsibilities of school management, teachers and pupils. The implementation of this policy is supported by leaflets for pupils and parents and posters for classroom display. Management Role School Management is responsible for ensuring appropriate and safe use of the Internet and associated equipment. In particular school management should: Ensure staff, pupils and parents are aware of the Acceptable Internet Use policy Ensure all users comply with the Acceptable Internet Use policy Make decisions about the appropriate level of access Ensure content of the school website conforms to Education Service guidelines Teacher’s Role When accessing the Internet for their own use teachers must Comply with the Acceptable Internet Use policy Observe the restrictions of the Data Protection Act, Copyright and other relevant legislation Report any breaches of policy to management Terminate suspect activity immediately Be cautious of any information they might themselves post to internet sources in a work or personal context. In particular, teachers must comply with the GTCS’ Code of Professionalism and Conduct guideline available from the GTCS website at http://www.gtcs.org.uk/Publications/StandardsandRegulations/code_professionalism_conduct.asp In the context of this Internet policy “teachers should be extremely careful in corresponding with people on social networking sites. A teacher’s relationship with pupils should at all times remain professional and so they should not correspond with pupils through such sites or add them as “friends”. In addition, teachers should bear in mind who may access their own profiles on such websites and so should take care as to the information they display about themselves and their personal lives”. In Fife, access to social networking is blocked by the Websense filters. When responsible for access by pupils Ensure pupils are aware of the Acceptable Internet Use policy Ensure all pupils comply with the Acceptable Internet Use policy Ensure that pupils are aware of the risks of giving personal information in electronic form Authorise and monitor all Internet access including the use of e-mail Ensure that the Internet is accessed for appropriate educational purposes Ensure that pupils understand that all work will be open to teacher’s scrutiny Extend pupil Internet skills as appropriate Be aware that it is best practice to have all computer screens positioned, whenever possible, so that they are easily seen by the teacher Pupil’s role In accessing the Internet and using E-mail, pupils must be aware of and comply fully with the Acceptable Internet Use policy as detailed below: Log on using only their allocated username and password Never disclose a 