Virtual world safety

Technology has changed the face of learning in the 21st century, and local authorities have a responsibility to safeguard young people while using digital resources such as the internet. Graham Willett, Inspector for ICT at the Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames, explains their approach to e-safety

As a local authority it is our responsibility to ensure that the Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames is a safe and secure place for children and young people to grow up in, both in the real world and in the virtual world. Therefore we place the same amount of importance on safety issues whether the location is in one of the local parks or within an online community via the internet.

Classrooms are bursting with all sorts of technology, from whiteboards and laptops to sophisticated learning environments. Gone are the days where students would sit row behind row and trawl through endless books; learning is now interactive, sophisticated and highly engaging.

This growth in new technologies within education has brought an increase in opportunities for our digital generation - but it has also created potential dangers.

'Cyber-bullying', viewing unsuitable material and internet predator grooming are just a few of the issues that currently pose great concerns. As such we realised that our e-safety policies needed updating to reflect such advances.