Cybersafety

We actively encourage our students to use digital technology confidently and competently by learning how to keep themselves safe online and manage challenges and issues, including understanding and meeting privacy and copyright laws, and protecting digital devices and equipment. As defined by Netsafe, a digital citizen:

• is a confident and capable user of ICT
• uses technologies to participate in educational, cultural, and economic activities
• uses and develops critical thinking skills in cyberspace
• is literate in the language, symbols, and texts of digital technologies
• is aware of ICT challenges and can manage them effectively
• uses ICT to relate to others in positive, meaningful ways
• demonstrates honesty and integrity and ethical behaviour in their use of digital technology
• respects the concepts of privacy and freedom of speech in a digital world
• contributes and actively promotes the values of digital citizenship.

Aotea College is a Netsafe School, which means the school has completed a Netsafe Schools Review and joined Netsafe’s programme to establish, develop, and promote online safety, citizenship, and wellbeing in the school community.

In keeping with our Health, Safety, and Welfare policy, we follow procedures to guide our use of the internet, mobile phones, and other digital devices and equipment. We maintain a cybersafe school environment by:

• educating students, staff, and the school community about the safe and responsible use of information and communication technologies
• ensuring that the school’s ICT network, hardware, and software is effectively maintained and secure, including content filtering (safe searches) – see Computer Security and Cybersecurity 
• using helpful resources, such as those provided by Netsafe
• allowing for professional development and training for staff
• setting and sharing clear guidelines about acceptable and unacceptable use of the technology, and monitoring these guidelines
• following clear guidelines about publishing student information online
• having a clear process for dealing with breaches of the policy or agreements – see Responding to Digital Incidents 
• following guidelines for the surrender and retention of digital devices
• ensuring that members of the school community understand the policy, and commit to it by signing the appropriate use agreement which outlines requirements and expectations
• reviewing use agreements annually.

The school maintains the right to monitor, access, and review digital technology use, including email use, and to audit material on school equipment. The school may also ask to audit privately-owned digital devices/equipment used on the school site or at any school-related activity. The school may use a third party, such as Linewize, to monitor school internet use. This may include browsing history.

The school follows Privacy Guidelines.

The safety of students is of paramount concern. We take any apparent breach of cybersafety seriously and respond using our guidelines for Responding to Digital Incidents and Concerns and Complaints, as appropriate. In serious incidents, we seek advice from an appropriate source, such as Netsafe, the New Zealand School Trustees Association, and/or a lawyer with specialist knowledge in this area. Special attention is paid to the need for specific procedures regarding the gathering of evidence in potentially serious cases. If illegal material or activities are suspected, the matter may need to be reported to the relevant law enforcement agency.

Using photos and recordings in a safe and respectful way ensures we do not breach the Privacy Act or the Harmful Digital Communications Act. Aotea College has the following guidelines for recording and sharing photos, video, and sound on school property, online, and at school activities.

Recording

Staff let students know before taking photographs or making a recording (in person or online), or discuss this with parents/caregivers if needed. Students and parents/caregivers can discuss with staff if they would prefer to be excluded from photographs or recordings. Also see Distance Learning and Delivering Online Learning.

Students wanting to take photographs, or record video or sound in class to support their learning need permission from the class teacher. Recordings may only be used for personal study, must not be duplicated or shared, and must be deleted when no longer needed.  

When a school meeting or phone call is recorded, all participants are informed in advance and told how the recording will be used.

Using a hidden device to take photographs, or record video or sound, is not permitted on school grounds, or at school activities or events. Personal digital devices must be used responsibly and are subject to our Surrender and Retention of Digital Devices policy.

Publishing and sharing

Aotea College expects students, staff, and the community to consider privacy and copyright restrictions when photographing, recording, publishing, or sharing material created by students or staff members. These considerations also apply when the school is using copyrighted material as part of a performance (e.g. a school play or concert).

Before publishing recorded material, staff seek permission from parents/caregivers, students, and other staff members who appear in the images or recordings.

Aotea College expects parents/caregivers and visitors to follow our guidelines for sharing images of students.

At Aotea College we have clear guidelines about acceptable and unacceptable use of technology; and students, caregivers, and parents sign use agreements. We take any breach of cybersafety seriously and respond as appropriate.

A major digital incident such as the posting of highly personal information or a graphic photo/video online can have a significant impact on students and staff. The school has the authority and responsibility to act, even when the incident takes place outside of school.

If damaging content has been posted online or a staff member or student has been involved in a scam, the school acts to minimise student/staff distress and ensure their safety. We follow our policy for the surrender and retention of digital devices, and we apply our behaviour management strategies in cases of unacceptable student behaviour such as online bullying.

In response to a digital incident, the school will:

• gather the facts to determine what has happened and who is involved
• support the students/staff involved
• determine the nature of the content (is it illegal, threatening or intimidating, objectionable, or does it breach privacy?)
• get offensive or inappropriate online material removed if possible:
  • ask the person responsible to remove the offending information, page, or website
  • request that the service provider or website owner remove the information or page
• seek advice from other organisations if necessary, e.g. Netsafe, the Ministry of Education’s traumatic incident team, and/or the police
• support those affected by the digital incident, where appropriate, to use “report abuse” buttons or other feedback methods on websites to report abuse/bullying, or report inappropriate text messages to the relevant service provider
• contact other relevant parties, e.g. senior staff, the board, pastoral staff, or parents/caregivers
• determine how/when to release information to the wider community and the media
• record full details of the incident.

If the school was the online content host, the school uses the safe harbour process as detailed by the Ministry of Justice, and/or seeks legal advice as necessary.

After the incident is resolved, the school continues to monitor the wellbeing of the affected students/staff and provides support if needed. The school holds a debrief to assess management of the incident, and how well the cybersafety guidelines were implemented.