The House of Lords Select Committee on Communications has published its report amid an inquiry into children’s access to, and use of, the internet. The report outlines the responsibilities of, and a range of recommendations to better inform, parents and carers; regulators, law enforcement and civil society; schools; industry; and the Government.
Governing boards have a legal responsibility to safeguard children in their schools and provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Current statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) – Keeping Children Safe in Education (external link) – has gone further than it ever has, to highlight the prevalence of children’s online activity, and the duties on governing boards to ensure appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place. The guidance also includes a dedicated annex, outlining additional information to help governing boards fulfil their responsibilities.
Recent changes to the computer science curriculum, personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, and relationships and sex education (RSE) also go some way of promoting teaching online safety and appropriate use of the internet. The Department for Education has recently made an announcement (external link) about making RSE compulsory in all schools, but this has not yet come into force (and parents still have the right to withdraw their child).