The cybersafety manager’s role

It is important for the senior manager taking on this role to understand why cybersafety is a significant issue for the school. Under the National Administrative Guidelines (NAGs) , boards of trustees have a statutory obligation to provide a safe physical and emotional learning environment for students, and to consult with the school’s community. Boards also have a duty to provide a safe workplace for their employees. These obligations underpin the need for a school cybersafety programme.

The cybersafety manager should have the authority and experience to not only lead the cybersafety team, but to also make appropriate responses to policy breaches. These breaches could involve either employees of the board or students. If a serious outcome eventuated, the matter would of course be handled by the principal and/or the board.

Specific responsibilities of the cybersafety manager include:

• Leading the cybersafety team
• Developing the necessary infrastructure to establish and maintain a cybersafe school as outlined in the NetSafe Cybersafety Model
• Considering whether any additional policies and ICT cybersafety management procedures are necessary for the school
• Leading the development of management protocols so that any instances where rules are breached are responded to in a consistent manner
• Instructing school staff on cybersafety protocols
• Considering how incidents of ICT misuse relate to the school’s existing discipline/behaviour system
• Establishing and maintaining an ‘incident book’ as outlined in the staff use agreement
• Responding to incidents of misuse using the NetSafe School Incident Response Flowchart
• Considering support systems available to students who may be victims of cyberbullying in conjunction with school guidance personnel
• Assisting teachers to integrate cybersafety into the curriculum.