Irish schools to block MySpace and Bebo
Schools to cut pupils off from their daily Bebo fix:
Social networking sites are not just being blocked by schools in The States because of problems…
THE controversial and hugely popular Bebo and My Space.Com websites will be banned in all schools from September.
The schools will have a content filtering system which will block out these so-called social networking sites.
It will also block all illegal and harmful sites, pornography, hate sites and racist sites.
By September, all schools will be on a broadband network which is being organised by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), a government agency.
Bebo is organised around schools and colleges and is widely used in Ireland.
NCTE director Jerome Morrissey said the reason Bebo and other social networking sites were being banned in schools was because they were too time-consuming.
But this will not stop students accessing these networks at home and uploading defamatory material about fellow students.
Recently, at least one Dublin school suspended a number of students for writing objectionable comments about teachers on a Bebo site.
Some of the students owned up to it and others said someone else had hacked into their site to upload the remarks.
Another school suspended a student for creating a bullying site which singled out a particular fellow student suggesting that he be targeted and physically attacked in a number of ways on a particular day.
“Many schools are finding themselves in a position where they have to deal with the fallout in the classroom and in the schoolyard from inappropriate use of the web by students outside school,” Mr Morrissey said.
“The NCTE, through its internet safety website www.webwise.ie and through the ICT Advisory Service based in regional Education Centres, is providing support and advice to schools on this matter.
“We encourage Bebo to actively engage with their users and school communities to increase the awareness of the key internet safety issues.
“Young people need to be aware of the need to protect their privacy and good name on the internet.
“There are potentially serious disciplinary consequences in schools and in the courts of defaming or harassing others online. Contrary to popular opinion, cyberbullying can be more harmful and easier to detect than traditional forms of bullying.
“The NCTE provides resources and support to schools to help them to put in place acceptable use policies that address these complex issues.”
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