Acceptable ICT-Usage Policy for Pupils

As a pupil of Beaulieu College you may be required to use the IT facilities provided by the school from time to time for either personal or work purposes. The facilities are provided for education-related activities and personal usage (such as banking or recreational usage) is done on your own time and at your own risk. You will be held responsible for any and all activity that occurs on a computer while you are logged in to it. It is therefore important that you never leave your computer station unlocked when you are not in front of it, or give your password to anyone else, including the IT support staff, teachers and other pupils.

Criminal Activity
You need to be aware that Beaulieu College will be held responsible for all activities that originate from its computers. As such, engaging in any illegal activities, including file sharing, the distribution of copied music (you might own the music, but Beaulieu College does not and so having your music on our computer equipment is illegal), child pornography, hacking (whether internally or externally) or any other criminal activity as defined in the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (No. 25 of 2002) or the Film and Publications Act (No. 65 of 1999) is not acceptable.

It is also an offense to attempt to circumvent any systems on the network which might enforce certain restrictions. This includes using software to hack or crack systems, and also logging on to machines and devices using other people’s login credentials.

Electronic Communication and Privacy
You are provided with your own personal e-mail account for use in communicating with parents and fellow pupils. You have no expectation of privacy for either incoming or outgoing e-mail. According to the Regulation of Interception of Communication Act (RICA), you are warned that your e-mail is automatically duplicated and stored in an archival system for this purpose. While you are welcome to use your e-mail account for personal reasons, remember that this e-mail activity is being recorded. Beaulieu College reserves the right to use this duplicated e-mail against you in a disciplinary hearing, should the need arise.

Your Internet browsing activity is also monitored and logged as part of the IT Department’s efforts to better serve your educational requirements. This includes the times, dates and addresses of all web pages you visit. It is also possible that the contents of unencrypted web pages might also be intercepted. While you are able to make use of our facilities for your own personal uses, you are again reminded you have no expectation of privacy. Again, Beaulieu College reserves the right to use this information in a disciplinary hearing against you, should the need arise.

You may not, under any circumstances, use the equipment provided by Beaulieu College for your own financial gain.

Confidentiality
Your login account is given access to resources on the network and the Internet that are needed to further your education. You will be held accountable for any action that occurs while you are logged into a computer.

General Usage
You are permitted to use any and all software that is installed on your computer. You may not install any other software yourself. This is because Beaulieu College is not licensed to run this software and by loading it onto a Beaulieu College computer, you are committing software piracy. This also interferes with the good running of the computers.

Behaviour in the Computer Labs
You are required to behave in a calm manner in the computer labs. "Horseplay", ball games and other such physical activities are prohibited in the computer labs.

Pupils may not eat or drink in the computer labs. This is both for the wellbeing of the equipment and for hygenic reasons.

Online Profiles and Activities
Pupils are warned that they are ambassadors of Beaulieu College and must therefore strive to behave online with the same levels of good behaviour that are expected of them by the Code of Conduct at any other time. Any online profiles or personas (either web-based, e-mail-based or using any other form of electronic communication as defined in the ECT Act (No. 25 of 2002)) that are created should avoid direct association with Beaulieu College wherever possible (it is acknowledged that some services require association with a school, and that some educational mailing lists or other online services might be signed up for with a Beaulieu College e-mail address). Pupils will be held accountable for their actions and content of their postings if a link can be established between their persona and Beaulieu College. This might be direct (for example: by mentioning its name) or indirect (for example: belonging to a group affiliated with Beaulieu College or posting a picture in which Beaulieu College can be identified).

No pupil is authorised to create a profile on behalf of the College (e.g. a Beaulieu College Twitter account, Beaulieu College Facebook page, Beaulieu College blog etc.) which might issue statements and messages on behalf of the College without the prior permission of the Executive Committee.

Pupils are strongly advised to set the privacy settings as strictly as possible to prevent anonymous access to their online posting. Furthermore, pupils should regard such services as publically accessible and must avoid posting any materials or messages online which might bring themselves or, either directly or indirectly, the name of Beaulieu College into disrepute.