Students own laptops bypassing internet filter

[TronXP]

We have a few students who bring there own laptops in because of various learning difficulties. They don't hook them into our network but they do use their inbuilt 3G card to get onto unfiltered internet. (also an issue with mobile phones)

 

We are looking into the best way to approach this and would like to know what other schools have done/opionions on this.

 

Thanks

[p858snake]

Why are they using 3G cards, why not have a site wide wireless they can connect to? There really isn't that much you can do when the student isn't connecting to your network.

[TronXP]

Don't have side wide wireless, no money for it no money in next few years, thats out of the question. Even if there was they would use the 3g to avoid our filter

[pete]

Since you don't own the laptop and they need it for work, it's tricky.

I'd get their form tutor / Head of year to talk to the parents and agree acceptable use. Explain the school's duty of care etc.

 

Since it's their laptop, they can circumvent any restrictions via admin rights / 3G.

 

Agree to leave the SIM card at home?

[TronXP]

Thats the sort of info I require, is do you have it in you AUP about 3g cards and how do you enforce it.

[pete]

The issue hasn't come up (3G is non-existant round here). You'll get wap if you're lucky.

 

Should it come up (say, using 3G to look at porn) we'd use the provisions in the Education Act 2006 to confiscate the device and return it to the child at the end of the school day. We'd also contact the parent and ask them to explain to the child / come in to discuss why we have a duty of care.

 

If that didn't solve the problem, we'd escalate from there.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Who's provided the laptop, have the parents paid for them or have they been provided by the LEA?

 

If it's the LEA I'd query it with them.

[TronXP]

Independant school so no LEA, parents have bought the laptop

[p858snake]

Talk to the special needs department and senior management and see if you can get some "special" funding just to cover wireless (that at least covers their main classrooms) and possibly laptops (although if they have wireless, they would work). Explain issues with the current setup and the legal duty of care as well.

 

Just pipe the proxy information with the dhcp leases and it will be hard for them to bypass.

[robmal]

Your AUP should really cover appropriate use of mobile phones too....

 

Can you offer parents a recommended spec for laptops in the future and explain the reasons why you do not recommend 3G capability? I realise you will still get 'Oh, I didn't know it could do that!' responses and 'I've bought this one now so its the one I want him/her to use'

 

Rob

[RTFM]

How do you get around the problem of people using iphones and the like to get onto the net?

 

Part of it surely comes down to teachers controlling the pupils actions in their classroom?

[FN-GM]

The mobile phone issue has come up a few times with us. We cant really do much about it, its all about staff enforcing the rules about mobile use in school. We cant tie the 3G usage into the computer AUP because it isnt property of the school.

[Firefly_Transport]

The only real way forward given Smart phones, PDA's & Laptops is to switch from 'Nanny-mode' and over to open-forum with the teaching staff directly responsible for management & education. They need to know 'How' not 'Why-Not'.

 

For those that worked under me at Sunny Duston, yes I have changed my viewpoint on this - because I was already aware that the task of restriction & control was essentially the same as the task of Sisyphus.

 

The Parents are going to have to also take responsibility for the fact they have supplied such devices to the children. They cannot have it both ways; either they accept they have enabled their children to expose themselves to the full bright light of the Internet & social networking or they remove such devices.

 

The former is unavoidable and the way of modern life, the latter I would meet with a suggestion they move to the US and join the Amish society.

[IKWeb]

reading these comments, surly there is nothing schools can do, the equipment is not school issued kit, at the end of the day, let the kids use 3g, iphone etc, if their parents are happy for them to do this. At the end of the day, a kid having a 3g dongle etc is going to have a parent who knows what they can be used for as most of them are contract, and the ones that are PAYG need to be added with credit, so parents should be aware their kid has one.

 

Granted the school has a duty of care, so if the school thinks the kids are doing something wrong with these devices then all the school can do is make the parents aware and that is the end of it as far as I see. The school can’t enforce anything more.

 

If the school are still not happy with this, then maybe ban all NON school machines from been used in the school, and issue them with school laptops locked down so they can’t install / connect USB dongles.