While schools took their classes online after the lockdown was announced in March 2020, recent complaints from students which have emerged on social media pointing to predatory behaviour by a faculty member online has fronted a host of cyber safety concerns that schools need to address.
“Most schools are yet to take cyber safety seriously,” said Dhanya Menon, a cyber crime investigator who has been working with educational institutions on awareness and sensitisation about cyber safety for over 10 years. She points out that with classes going online, student details — be it their phone numbers or e-mail IDs — are now available with school faculty members and might be accessible to external resource persons as well.
“This data can be handled by a number of people and schools should have a policy in place to protect this information,” she explained. Cyber safety counsellors should be accessible to the students and be a part of the school child protection committee.
Cyber safety guidelines
The handbook on the implementation of POCSO Act 2012 for school management and staff developed by the NIPCCD has clearly stated guidelines with regard to cyber safety.
Section 6 which talks about the prevention of Child Sexual Abuse in schools states that internet safety protocols must be established in schools.
While teachers should not be allowed to email, SMS or call students unless it is about school work, all communication sent to the students should also copy a parent, guardian or a caregiver. Teachers have also been asked not to engage in any relationships with students on social media unless in officially approved group settings.
“It is a must for schools to sensitise their teachers, parents and students on the provisions of the POCSO Act as well as cyber safety rules to be followed. A few months ago, we conducted sessions in city schools online about the POCSO Act with the help of an advocate. This should be the first step now for schools here on,” said K.R. Maalathi, Founder, Auuro Educational Services. Ms. Maalathi said that right from email IDs, access to social media profiles, to even WhatsApp DPs, there’s a lot more data which has now become accessible owing to schools taking their operations online.
“At schools we work with, teachers are told strictly not to engage with the students on social media or through any electronic medium unless it is for school work. Students also need to be told about the child safety committee in place, and whom they can take their grievances to online, since they are physically not on campus at the moment,” she added.
Monitoring of classes
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday, in a step towards enforcing safety, gave directions for guidelines to be framed for online classes in both schools and colleges. This included an announcement that all online classes conducted in Tamil Nadu would have to be recorded periodically by the respective school managements.
When the pandemic started, some schools enforced a rule that they would have their counsellors or other faculty members sit through live classes and review them to evaluate the quality of teaching.
“When classes went online, both teachers and students were sensitised on online etiquette and safety. It was a new medium for everyone and this sensitisation was important. Right from where they should sit and teach to a dress code, we had to address all aspects,” said Vishnucharan Paneerselvam, Correspondent, Shree Niketan Group of Schools.
He said that the school had faculty members — mentors and counsellors who were not busy teaching classes, to attend live sessions and review them, which is also an effective safety measure. “The students were asked to reach out to them if they have any safety concerns,” he said.
Students recognising and flagging any concern they might have is something that Ms. Menon lays stress on. “Students should be made aware that anything they are uncomfortable with, has to be reported,” she said.
