Boarding parents of teens - Internet access at school

[TheRealHousewifeOfSomewhere]

I am just wondering how different schools police and monitor Internet access with boarders etc.

With all the advice we are given about not having computers / devices in bedrooms I am keen to know what happens at other schools.

Dd is a yr 10 boarder and has Internet access in her boarding house. She is allowe her mobile and tablet all day and night. The network allows her onto fb and God knows what else. She as far as I know is fairly sensible but i have to say I am not 100% happy with the lack of monitoring. Several girls have laptops at school (dd getting one for Xmas) and they spend quite a lot of friends time inttheir dorms just hanging out after prep. I have never been that comfortable with this but guess no other parents seem to have complained or be concerned as its just the "norm" at school. Last weeks ceop announcement got me thinking again so am asking other boarding parents of teens what is normal at you school.

One person did day to me that with 3g phone's it is impossible for school's to police the matter because all boarders want a phone to keep in touch with home.

Apologies for the typos

I'd have thought it's totally impossible. I've no idea what my state comp. DDs get up to for two hours on the bus, with 3G phones.

How on God's green earth a private boarding school is supposed to monitor what it's pupils get upto at midnight and on free wi fi in Costa coffee on Saturdays I have no idea.

They can't possibly search rooms well enough to find all iPods, phones etc. If you could my DDS wouldn't lose theirs so often.

I am in the other side of this as a teacher in boarding school and this is one of my areas if responsibility. The reality is that it is an absolute impossibility. The school network does not allow students to access certain "inapporopriate" sites or material, but yes 6pm to 11 pm they can access Facebook etc. all boarding houses have laptops for accessing skype which are kept in booths on public areas so that they can be seen but not overheard. Skype is enabled on their own laptops only at specific parental request.
however there is no method by which we can control what they access by mobiles.

Sorry- typing whilst feeding.
We therefore have to focus mainly on education. All years get speakers and pshe sessions about online safety relevant to their age groups.
It doesn't prevent everything of course but they can all tell you what they should or shouldn't do. What they choose to do is of course up to them!

And I'm sure that my 12 year old could set up skype, with or without my permission. She only doesn't have FB because DH would blow his top and lock her lap top up in his filing cabinet draw. Fortunately most of her class mates parents said 13 too, so she's happy with email, kik, text and face time. Oh and sodding instagram, which she did set up herself.

Probably wasn't very clear- of course students could FaceTime or put skype on their own phones, but they can't access it on their private laptops through the school network without the network managers enabling it for their profile- which requires parental permission. This was initially done to minimise the use of Skype in dorms where there was the risk of nudity etc. of course now this is of very limited effect due to mobiles but we still keep it as it helps to reinforce the message that these things should not be used in dorms.

At my DS's boarding school as far as I understand there is no wifi so no internet in dorms only study areas etc and no lap tops until the third term of yr 10. Computers (2 I think) are available in the house for checking emails Facebook etc.

They are also not meant to have phones which can access the internet.

Dd is a day student (year 7) but she stayed in the boarding house for a week summer school & her friends have td her there is no wi-if

They have computers available for homework etc on the school network. Some children have 3G phones where they can use Facebook etc. all phones have to be handed in 15 mins before bedtime.