A "surf nanny" will be installed in most Island schools this fall to help prevent students from accessing objectionable material while surfing the net. The Department of Education has purchased 310 copies of the Internet security package Surfwatch for distribution to schools.
Education Minister Gordon MacInnis says the purchase was made in response to concerns voiced by Department consultants, teachers and parents. "As the use of information technology tools in the classroom increases, so too does the chance that students may inadvertently, or perhaps deliberately, come upon subjects that we deem unsuitable or inappropriate," said MacInnis. "Although there is no product on the market that is 100% effective, we are confident that Surfwatch, combined with supervising and educating students on ethical use of the Internet, will alleviate these concerns."
The software blocks access to sites that have been found to contain material unsuitable for student use. Examples would include pornographic or racist material. The addresses of unsuitable sites are updated monthly by the company.
Surfwatch has proven effective in other jurisdictions including school districts in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta.
The software will be installed by Technology in Education technicians at the request of individual schools beginning this September.