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ICT Acceptable Use Policy

Access to the Glasgow Schools ICT System

Acceptable Use Policy

 

The ambition for Glasgow Schools is that information and communication technology will become an integral part of the educational experience of every young person. As a Glasgow School pupil, you are being given access to one of the most advanced information and communication technology (ICT) systems available at any school in the UK.  This ICT System will provide access to extensive curricular software, email and the Internet for all. The objective is to give you the best possible grounding in the skills necessary to succeed in the information age.

 

As with all resources available within school deliberate misuse of the ICT System will be subject to the school’s disciplinary procedures and sanctions. 

 

 

What is expected of you?

 

Acceptable Use of the ICT System

 

  1. You must always get permission from a teacher before using the ICT System or accessing any information or application.
  2. You must keep secret your personal login and password for the ICT System and never allow others to use them.
  3. You must not attempt to access any part of the ICT System that is not part of your personal desktop.
  4. You must not intentionally damage or vandalise any part of the ICT System (including computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, cable etc) or delete any computer software used on the ICT System or the data of another user.
  5. You must not intentionally introduce software designed to cause damage to any component part of the ICT System software (commonly known as a virus).
  6. All pupils should note that it is all too easy to damage computer equipment through spillage of food and drink and there is a risk of injury where liquids come into contact with electrical appliances.
  7. You must always end your session on a computer by closing it down correctly.  If you are unsure how to close down, you should ask your teacher.
  8. You must not use the ICT System for business, or other commercial activities including product advertisement or political lobbying.

 

Acceptable Use of E-mail and the Internet

 

You are responsible for good behaviour on the Internet and should consider your e-mail communications as being similar in all respects to any conversation in a classroom or a school corridor. General school rules apply. In addition the following acts are prohibited:

 

  1. Sending or displaying any abusive, sexist, racist or otherwise offensive material.
  2. Using obscene language.
  3. Accessing or attempting to access any inappropriate or offensive material.
  4. Violating copyright laws.
  5. Failing to report known instances of any of the above.

 

Remember, everything that you do on the system will be automatically recorded and the people who operate the ICT System will monitor your compliance with this Acceptable Use Policy.

 

Acceptance of Policy

Glasgow City Council, Education Services, the School Management Team and the supplier of the ICT Systems will make every effort to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to monitor the acceptable usage of ICT facilities and would be grateful if you would offer your support for these measures by signing the declarations below.

 

A note about the Internet

 

Attached is a short parent’s guide to the Internet.  Access to the Internet will enable pupils to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and bulletin boards while exchanging messages with other Internet users throughout the world. Although the school ICT System is designed to block access to controversial, inappropriate or offensive material, the nature of the Internet makes it difficult to make such access an impossibility.  In light of that practical difficulty and the fact that each person's view of what is "controversial, inappropriate or offensive" varies, ultimately parents and guardians of pupils are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. During school, teachers will guide pupils toward appropriate materials.

 

We would be grateful if you could read the enclosed guidance documents and then complete the permission form which follows.

 

 

PUPIL ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

 

 

 

 

 

Pupil

 

As a pupil of this school I agree i) to abide by the rules for acceptable use of ICT System as set out above,  ii) that I will not engage in any of the prohibited activities identified above; and iii) that I will use the ICT System in a responsible way and observe all the restrictions in relation to the ICT Systems which are notified to me by teachers .

 

Pupil Signature _____________________________                       Date: ___/___/___

 

Name              --------------------------------------------------                      Class   --------------

 

 

 

 

 

Parent

 

As the parent/carer or legal guardian of the pupil signing above, I grant permission for him/her to use the ICT System including electronic mail and the Internet.  I agree to encourage him/her to abide by the rules outlined for acceptable use of the ICT facilities.  I understand that pupils will be held accountable for their own actions. I also understand that some materials on the Internet may be objectionable and I accept responsibility for setting standards for him/her to follow when selecting, sharing and exploring information and media.

 

Parent/Guardian Signature _________________________                       Date ___/___/___

 

Name of Pupil ____________________________              

 

Class ___________________

 

A parent’s guide to the Internet

 

  • What is the Internet?
    The Internet is a large number of computers all over the world linked together with cables. In most cases, each of these computers is also linked locally to a number of other computers, in a local network. It is possible for someone using one of these computers to access information on any of the other computers. It is possible for other people, outside these local networks, to connect to the Internet by using standard telephone lines between their computers and those already connected to the Internet.

 

  • What is the World Wide Web?
    To make the appearance of information available through the Internet more attractive, and to assist people in finding information more easily, it is now possible for special pages of information to contain text, colours, and pictures, sound and even video. These pages, collectively, make up what is known as the World Wide Web (WWW). Most of these pages include information on the location of other pages on the WWW, and it is possible to follow up links between pages with similar or related content. Moving from one page to another, regardless of where in the world they might be located, is called browsing, or surfing the net or web. Many of these Web pages contain information that may be useful in the classroom, and it is presented in a way that is often easy to use. Your child’s school may have its own Web pages on the WWW.

 

  • What is Electronic Mail (E-mail)
    This is merely a way of sending messages from one person to another via the Internet. Each Internet user has a unique e-mail address (such as johnny@glasgow.co.uk) and by sending a message to this address, the recipient can read the message the next time he or she connects to the Internet. Internet e-mail addresses are usually provided along with schools’ connection to the Internet.

 

  •  What are News Groups?
    These are collections of messages written for public readership rather than addressed to an individual. Each collection, or group, of messages is about a particular subject or theme. Individuals can reply to these messages, and these replies are also public. In this way it is possible to track a multi-way conversation about an important issue of the day. At present there are more than 10,000 different topics available for discussion, from specialist science research to support groups for asthma to fans of James Bond movies. Most of the press concern regarding pornography on the Internet refers to newsgroups, but they are the easiest for the School’s Internet providers to police.

 

  • What are the dangers of the Internet referred to in the media?
    It is true that there is some material on the Internet that would be offensive to most people, such as pornography, racist and fascist material. There is a risk that pupils using the ICT Systems can access this material if using the ICT Systems. While the providers of the Glasgow Schools ICT Systems use state of the art software to try to block access to such material, this software is not totally foolproof. The only way to absolutely prevent access to offensive material is to have a restricted range of WWW pages available, in which case many of the advantages of the global and dynamic nature of the Internet may be lost. It is a feature of the Internet that the information available is free. An alternative system is to educate pupils and encourage an acceptable use policy and partnership between home and school in dealing with the less savoury side of Internet use.

 

  • How can I get more information?
    If you have any specific questions please contact the school and ask for the ICT co-ordinator.