Amid rising concerns that the 'Blue Whale' challenge is allegedly driving multiple teenagers to suicide, the CBSE recently issued a circular to all schools affiliated to it, asking them to take effective steps to ensure safe use of the internet.
In a set of guidelines, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked schools to "install effective firewalls, filtering and monitoring software mechanisms in all the computers and regularly review filtering and blocking policies and procedures. Various types of unsolicited contents available on internet must be blocked."
The body also asked schools to educate children about safe and effective use of the internet.
However, while many schools in Kochi have welcomed the CBSE's move, some have pointed out that it can be expensive for the institutions.
"We have no problems in complying with the guidelines. It is clear that such measures should be taken at a time when students are actively engaging in technology and social media. But not all schools will be able to implement firewall immediately as it is quite expensive," TPM Ibrahim Khan, President of Kerala CBSE schools management association said, as per a report by Vikram Vinod in The Times of India.
The guidelines have been issued to around 18,000 schools across the country that are affiliated with the Board.
Some of the measures that have been suggested by the CBSE are:
-Educate students on safe and effective use of the Internet.
-Make children explicitly aware of the rule for the acceptable use of the Internet and display rules in this regard prominently.
-Install effective firewalls, filtering and monitoring software mechanisms in all the computers and regularly review filtering and blocking policies and procedures. Various types of unsolicited contents available on internet must be blocked.
-Isolate Internet access from other school Network.
-Avoid digital and video images of individual students/teachers on school websites for safety of Children.