YouTube Kids... YES/NO

[Koldov]

Just had a teacher come and ask me to unblock this... she wants her SEN pupils (Primary age) to be able to use it on their iPads.

 

Unfortunately YouTube is blocked for the children here via an IP range for their devices (teacher's have access to it from their devices), but it is set via our LGfL filtering to 'Strict Restricted'.

 

Teachers can bypass this by signing in with their school Google account and having individual videos approved, but the YouTube service is turned off in Google for pupils.

 

Anyway, I don't know if this YouTube Kids thing is completely safe, or if it is even possible to allow it through the filtering without unblocking all the YouTube domains (as presumably the actual videos are still hosted on the main YouTube servers). We can get to the YouTube Kids page but the videos won't play obviously...

 

I don't really want to allow the normal YouTube for all the pupils, just to allow YouTube Kids for a handful of them. Although it is 'Strict Restricted' unblocking the main YouTube would allow them to see plenty of videos not suitable for their age range/school environment (regardless of what they see at home).

 

Even though it would be a 'classroom management' issue, the iPads are also used for breakfast, lunch and afterschool clubs where the supervision may not always be 100%...

 

I know I'm going to be asked why I can't do it, or why I'm blocking T&L, but honestly I can't see a way around it... anyone?

[Aprice]

With this sort of issue I just send the DSL or head an email and leave it up to them, then archive the email away / attach it to ticket should anything ever come of it.

 

Personally I think Youtube kids is probably a distraction rather than a safeguarding issue, but leave that decision to the powers that be.

 

Means your not the bad guy if the answers no.

 

Also you can't have I want it unblocked for this lesson and blocked for that one, it just isn't manageable. I've had that suggestion a few times before.

[kingoranks]

Kids need youtube and the decision is for SLT to make

[Oaktech]

I use it for my son, but he's always supervised with it and I've removed a few channels from it for various reasons.

 

I wouldn't deploy it to a school environment without a thorough method statement and risk assesment from my DSL.

[tmoon-mint]

Not sure if it still works but it used to be possible to get non child friendly videos to show up just by not using spaces in the search box of the youtube kids app. I remember watching a youtube video by Nerdcity about it and he was able to watch Jake Paul videos on the kids app by just typing in "jakepaul" instead.

[paulkerton]

We have heavily restricted YouTube available for the kids. YouTube Kids though - that's not educational content and more "baby shark do do do do do do do" content.

[Koldov]

Well, I did a little more research on it to get enough ammo to shoot it down (actually only needed one webpage and its linked articles)....

 

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-youtube-kids

 

...and then took it to the SENCO who is also SLT (Deputy Head), luckily she has used it for her child and is of the same opinion.

 

As it is just a front end for videos hosted on YouTube itself there are probably numerous holes in the algorithms that rate the videos 'for kids' and in the UI as pointed out above...

 

Shame, its been around long enough to have matured into a useful product, but its just another afterthought/add-on/revenue stream for YouTube (and its owners)...

 

Does anyone have any recommendations on something similar that is actually usable?