One of the defining features of the current generation of children is their proficiency with and use of technology. This has provided the opportunity for educators to incorporate IT into their lessons at much earlier ages, gamifying lessons and supporting the children’s wider education. However, use of IT in these settings does raise safeguarding considerations that must be fulfilled both for compliance and for the safety of children and staff.
Many schools are unaware of their responsibilities when it comes to safeguarding early years children in IT settings. Under the Department of Education’s Keeping Children Safe In Education guidance, updated in September 2023, it’s a requirement of schools and educational facilities to record which students have accessed what information online and to have that record available to those with a right to it, such as the child themselves, and those who may need to see it for professional reasons. This means that every child is required to have their own login to facilitate this more accurate recording, and schools need a robus automated system to enact the monitoring.
In environments with younger children, it’s still common to see entire classes using a single generic login, which leaves huge vulnerabilities in the security of the wider system and raises safeguarding concerns under the guidance. Remedying this can present problems for education professionals working with early years children, as they may not be able to make use of traditional login systems that require remembering and typing a password.
There are some IT solutions available that can help with this, such as making use of a badge-based login, or the ability to login using emojis which are much more readily identifiable to young children than complex passwords.
There is also the question of appropriate internet filtering for the age group. The Department of Education states that the filtering systems should meet the needs of staff and students, allowing them to access the information they require to learn, but also protect them from potential harms. The UK Safer Internet Centre provides a useful checklist for schools to use when procuring a filtering and monitoring provider, including a list of the kinds of content that it must be capable of filtering and other requirements such as its ability to apply to filter remotely, provide reports of what information has been accessed by whom, and if it is capable of filtering mobile and app content.
Educators should also attempt to speak to children about their experiences online and teach them about online safety in an age-appropriate manner. For early years children, this could include talking to them about what they are doing online as part of daily conversation, which will help keep them open enough to talk about their experiences if they do face any issues. The NSPCC also recommends asking open-ended questions about things like their favourite YouTube or TikTok creators. This demonstrates an interest in what they’re doing and being willing to learn about the kinds of content they are consuming both from a safety standpoint and a genuine interest in getting to know the child better.
Education IT providers, such as easipc, often provide bespoke monitoring and filtering offerings for all settings, helping educators to protect the children in their care and ensure they are compliant with GDPR and other data protection regulations.
Find out more about easipc at www.easipc.co.uk call 01604 286682 or email info@easipc.co.uk
