Should sex be banned...

[SimpleSi]

.. by the filter as a search term in primary schools?

 

In CLEO land we have Netsweeper imposed on us and Google searches are enforced as safestrict but the word sex is allowed as a search term.

 

What happens in other places please?

 

regards

 

Simon

Background: I found this when a chld searching for old toys found worlds oldest sex toy and I started seeing what terms would bring up what sort of results and was am amazed that sex wasn't banned as a search term since CLEO usually ban eveything (except convicted sex offender web sites but don't get me started on that one)

 

Now I don't mind if a school head wants it unblocked but I think that as a default for primary schools it should be blocked.

Edited November 10, 2010 by SimpleSi

[FN-GM]

But what about sex education? If you block it you wont be able to do anything on that topic.

 

To be honest i dont really know what to put.

[SimpleSi]

But what about sex education? If you block it you wont be able to do anything on that topic.

 

Would you want primary pupils in school to be learning about sex education from the internet?

 

Si

[Flakes]

i put probably not, if you put in sex into a search browser with safe results you get most results answering questions that primary school kids would be asking at the moment this is valuable information for them, talks about sex and more importantly safe sex should not be banned, or blocked but encouraged. however if the search was for xxx or "sex xxx" then there obviously just looking for porn.

[Tyiell]

Have primary school kids changed since I was one of them?? I had zero interest in sex or porn when I was 6...!!! :S

[Flakes]

remember, that when you leave primary school you are around 10years old, and kids are alot more savvy about sex now at that age.

[Tyiell]

Hmm. They must have changed the system then - I went to a primary schhol from ages 5-8, middle school from ages 8-11, secondary 11-16...

 

If primary schools now cover from 5-11 then that changes things, sex education was taught to me in Middle School...

[GeeHubb]

In general, in this neck of the woods anyway, Infants is Reception to Year 2 (5-7); Juniors covers Year 3 to Year 6 (8-11); and Primary covers Reception to Year 6 and Secondary from Year 7 onwards. You do still get some Middle Schools with children up to Year 8 I think, but it's not 'the norm' here.

[mjs_mjs]

what about a geography project looking for sussex or similar?

[CAM]

And don't forget this thread itself would be banned with sex in the URL.

[SimpleSi]

what about a geography project looking for sussex or similar?

 

I think computers can tell the difference between words and words that contain other words

 

Si

[FN-GM]

I think computers can tell the difference between words and words that contain other words

 

Si

 

i had an e-mail filter that ripped out e-mails with the word sussex, middlesex etc

[RabbieBurns]

i had an e-mail filter that ripped out e-mails with the word sussex, middlesex etc

 

yup, my last school email system provided by Redstone was as rubbish as that.. any word containing any part of a banned word, was blocked. Not to mention the 1995 software used on the webmail..

[SimpleSi]

Just to show how stupid our default filtering is

I wanted a program to customise google calendar printout and was directed to wincalendar and then tried this link

Register WinCalendar: Buy a WinCalendar License

 

which was blocked as being Sex Education.

 

Now either it does contain dodgy stuff and the filter has done its job in protecting pupils or maybe its a false positive.

 

But my main point would be that since it blocks something like this as Sex Education wouldn't you think sex itself would be blocked.

 

Could do with a bit more info from other RBC users as to whether sex is allowed as a search term or not in their areas

 

regards

 

Simon

[MK-2]

should sex be banned?

 

i think you'll find in my household it already has been.

 

 

thank you folks, im here all evening!

[SimpleSi]

 

Si

[localzuk]

We had the same issue with 'Dick' yesterday when kids were searching for 'Dick King Smith'. The filters block it, as the results are obviously not what we want when they search without 'King Smith'.

 

Its a difficult one to be honest. Here, the term is blocked for searches, but doesn't activate the 'active adaptive content filter' which spots words in pages.

 

It very much is something to talk to the SMT about, as its a mix of child protection and sex education that you need to balance.

[SimpleSi]

as its a mix of child protection and sex education that you need to balance.

Thats the problem - I just don't see this being valid for primaries.

 

I wouldn't want any child of mine to learn any sort of sex education in school by searching the internet!

 

I'd want sex education taught with controlled resources and materials - not to just let them find out by searching with their mates during wet play when the teacher's back is turned!

 

I'm getting extreme cognitive dissonance with this issue

 

Simon

Off to take my tablets

[SimpleSi]

PS Does that link have any sex education at all BTW

[localzuk]

PS Does that link have any sex education at all BTW

 

Not that I can see!