Students on the Net

Queensland State Government is planning on entering personal details including photos of every state school child in an online data base. Photographs, personal details, career aspirations, off-campus activities and student performance records are being collected from all 1251 state schools.

Queensland Education Minister Rod Welford has warned the state-wide rollout of the OneSchool database is "non-negotiable" and any student who doesn't divulge the required information could be refused an education.

The system is to be available for teachers and principals to access information on students.
Terry O'Gorman, Civil Liberties Council vice-president says that the system needs to be restricted so principals and teachers could access data only on their won students , with non-teaching staff excluded and no access for home computers.

"Why should anyone other than the teacher of a particular student and the principal of that school have a right to know what a child's academic performance is, behavioural status is or what their life aims are?" he said.

"It just puzzles me as to how it can have any possible benefit to centralise that information, whereas it has a clear privacy downside."

OneSchool users will have passwords to one of 12 different levels of access to the encrypted data, according to their role.

Until now schools have used paper records and offline computer or internet-based databases to store student information.

Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Association vice-president Charles Alder rejected concerns about security breaches.

"The security standards on this are as high as on any other system," he said.

Queensland Association of State School Principals president Norm Hart also supported OneSchool.

The first phase of the database rollout, to be completed by December, focuses on developing accurate student-management records including school reports, contact details, attendance, extra-curricular activities, behaviour, career aspirations and parental contact.

I for one do not want my childrens photos along with all their details available on the net, makes it too easy for some smart ass or sicko to gain access if they can get into the site. A hacker with correct knowledge would be able to do so. If I wanted to share my kids details I feel I should have that right, not the government taking it into their hands and basically forcing parents to agree or they may lose the right to an education which will force parents to use the private system , that is not within many parents financial reach. Too many decisions regarding families and children are being taken over by the government , the civil rights of parents are being eroded by stand over legislation. Compared to many countries we do have a good life in Australia but I don't see this country as good as it is made out to be.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/

When teaching crosses the line

Here we have a case of a female teacher being charged with sexual offences against a male student. Whilst some may say it is a common fantasy of teen boys to have fantasies about their teachers, what this teacher allegedly done was wrong. Her solicitor says she will plead not guilty and that she has fully co-operated with police. Too bad. IF, and only IF she is guilty of these offences, she should face the full brunt of the law as a male teacher would. When we see male teachers that are brought before the courts with similar charges, they are vilified and hounded and rightly so. I don't know why but there seems to be an air of going more softly in the sentencing of female offenders than the males. A teacher is in a position of trust and responsibility and whether it male or female, that trust should never be breached and the teacher should never cross that line. Be interesting to see what sentence this teacher gets compared to that of a male teacher for doing the same.