Why Your Goose Shouldn’t Know Your Password: Supporting safe and responsible technology use

Girls Grammar held its inaugural ‘Bring a Goose to School’ Day this week. Our Preps named them, Gertie, Gary and Grace, and the trio visited several classrooms and outdoor spaces in the school. We discussed the benefits of goose-therapy, and why animals are much better pets than phones and computers.

The Australian Government will introduce new legislation in December that prohibits children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Reddit, and Discord. While the primary responsibility for managing online access at home rests with parents and caregivers, we recognise that schools play an important supporting role. By placing restrictions on school-issued devices, both at school and at home, we aim to reinforce these protections and help families navigate the evolving digital landscape with greater confidence.

In addition to these legal changes, our school has seen a significant increase in alerts from Senso, our monitoring platform that flags concerning online behaviours. These alerts have included instances of students accessing inappropriate content, engaging in unsafe online interactions, and using platforms that are not age-appropriate. We have also received feedback from families who actively monitor their children’s personal devices and would like similar protections applied to school-issued laptops.

Recent updates to our device restrictions now extend to use outside of school hours. These changes reflect our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, digital safety, and responsible technology use. This term, students in Years 5–9 will also be engaging with modules from the eSmart program, developed by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, during Care time. These lessons are designed to build digital literacy, promote respectful online behaviour, and empower students to make safe choices in the digital world.

The following platforms are currently blocked on school-issued laptops: Discord, Snapchat, Tik-Tok, Omegle, Roblox, Chat GPT.

CoPilot is our school’s preferred AI platform. It is integrated into the Microsoft 365 suite and adheres to Microsoft’s strict security and privacy standards. Information remains protected and private by default. Copilot is designed for use by students from age 13 years, whereas Chat GPT requires parental permission for students aged 13 – 17, and is not suitable for children under 13.

We understand that technology plays a vital role in learning and connection, but it must be used in ways that support wellbeing and align with age-appropriate guidelines. These restrictions are intended to create safer digital environments and ensure students are supported both at school and at home. If you would like further information on how to support safe and respectful technology use at home, the following resources are highly recommended:

·         eSafety Commissioner Parent Resources - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources

·         Playing IT Safe -  https://playingitsafe.org.au/.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can support your daughter’s digital literacy and wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kathy King

Deputy Principal of Students