Home > Protecting Children Online
The Albany Schools Network (ASN) was established to give schools in Grahamstown access to the Internet and related services. As such, we are obviously concerned that this is done safely and responsibly. We strongly believe that this is best done by our direct members - the schools themselves. Parents and guardians that are worried about their minor children's internet access should, in the first instance, make contact with the relevant school.
We strongly believe that the best way to protect children online is to give them the resources to protect themselves from online threats through education about what threats exist, and how to handle them. After all, no filter is ever 100% perfect - yet the positives of Internet access to education are undeniable.
Useful Resources:
Protecting children at home is also important; for this parents must build trust, and ensure their kids understand appropriate behaviours and boundaries. Tools like OpenDNS's "Family Shield" can be a useful addition - but teaching your kids comes first! Remember that as online lives become increasingly central to business and personal finance, staying secure online is a vital skill. Please refer to the various links we have provided here to give you a good head start in engaging with your kids (and perhaps learning some things yourself!).
ISPA maintains a number of useful resources for further information on protecting minors online. Please see their Cyber Safety Resources and further resources for children and teens. ASN members should make use of networking opportunities within the local "community of practice" to leverage skills and experiences from other schools in their own teaching and learning programmes.