Recently, a class of TVDSB Grade 2 students were exposed to graphic oral sex on a Smart-Board, due to a mistype on the part of a teacher when he was attempting to access a website.
Although concerned parents immediately raised the issue to the school officials, and then the school board, TVDSB's subsequent actions downplayed the parents request for internet filters.
This isn't the first situation where TVDSB students were exposed to, or accessed inappropriate material via the internet, due to the lack of filters on TVDSB computer systems. Children of ALL ages have full access to the internet in our schools, and a mistype, or quick image search of anything innocent can certainly bring up images that are inapproriate for minors. (and they have.)
At the March 26th board meeting, the TVDSB decided as a whole to gather more information about what would be involved in implementing filters on their computers.
Unfortunately, not all Trustees were convinced the board needs to spend the money to protect our kids. Arguments about cost and "freedom of intellect" were brought up, which made many of us parents uncomfortable. Why would Trustees not want to protect children from lewd pornography while at school?
Furthermore, no immediate provisions were made to encourage teachers to set-up internet-based learning prior to class instruction, leaving the children wide-open to this kind of exposure again.
Cybertip.ca defines child sexual abuse as follows: "Child sexual abuse includes a range of behaviours from obvious contact offences such as touching or fondling genitalia, to the less obvious non-contact offences which include exposure to sexually explicit material. Children can experience sexual abuse and trauma without a contact offence occurring and the damage can be equally as harmful depending upon the nature of the child."
Although concerned parents immediately raised the issue to the school officials, and then the school board, TVDSB's subsequent actions downplayed the parents request for internet filters.
This isn't the first situation where TVDSB students were exposed to, or accessed inappropriate material via the internet, due to the lack of filters on TVDSB computer systems. Children of ALL ages have full access to the internet in our schools, and a mistype, or quick image search of anything innocent can certainly bring up images that are inapproriate for minors. (and they have.)
At the March 26th board meeting, the TVDSB decided as a whole to gather more information about what would be involved in implementing filters on their computers.
Unfortunately, not all Trustees were convinced the board needs to spend the money to protect our kids. Arguments about cost and "freedom of intellect" were brought up, which made many of us parents uncomfortable. Why would Trustees not want to protect children from lewd pornography while at school?
Furthermore, no immediate provisions were made to encourage teachers to set-up internet-based learning prior to class instruction, leaving the children wide-open to this kind of exposure again.
Cybertip.ca defines child sexual abuse as follows: "Child sexual abuse includes a range of behaviours from obvious contact offences such as touching or fondling genitalia, to the less obvious non-contact offences which include exposure to sexually explicit material. Children can experience sexual abuse and trauma without a contact offence occurring and the damage can be equally as harmful depending upon the nature of the child."
(Child Abuse: it is your business. Cybertip.ca. August 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cybertip.ca/pdfs/csa_it_is_your_business_en.pdf)
We as parents feel it is in the best interests of the 75,000+ students in the Thames Valley District School Board to implement internet filters, board-wide. In addition, we feel the TVDSB needs an additional safety measure of a policy, dictating that all teachers (full-time, part-time, and casual) set-up all outbound links prior to instruction/presentation to minors, so that an instance like this never happens again.
Please sign this petition to be counted as a TVDSB parent who supports these measures as described.
Lastly, your voice is IMPORTANT. You can speak at the May 8th board meeting (at 7 p.m.) by faxing in a presenter's package by April 24th. ( http://www.tvdsb.ca/files/78949/presenters_package_dec2011.pdf )
Or, come out and support those who are speaking about this issue.
Please spread the word among the parents in our board. We need these filters, no matter the cost.
Thank you.
Please sign this petition to be counted as a TVDSB parent who supports these measures as described.
Lastly, your voice is IMPORTANT. You can speak at the May 8th board meeting (at 7 p.m.) by faxing in a presenter's package by April 24th. ( http://www.tvdsb.ca/files/78949/presenters_package_dec2011.pdf )
Or, come out and support those who are speaking about this issue.
Please spread the word among the parents in our board. We need these filters, no matter the cost.
Thank you.