Teaching Safely in Online Spaces
The Victorian Government strongly believes that children and young people have the right to participate in an education system which values and promotes safe and respectful attitudes and behaviours and prepares them for successful relationships and interactions in their adult lives. Creating and maintaining respectful, safe, secure and stimulating learning environments is an essential characteristic of a school that is engaging and inclusive of a diverse range of learners.
A school also has a Duty of Care responsibility to identify known and foreseeable risks to students and to take reasonable steps to minimise these risks and to support students in their care. This includes online and digital environments, particularly those that are created and/or owned by the school and its teaching staff.
Building Respectful and Safe Schools is a resource for school communities providing renewed guidance to promote and support safe and respectful learning environments. It encompasses a broad definition of the school environment including digital learning spaces, communication using digital technologies, and situations when students are outside the classroom, such as travelling to and from school and in the playground.
The Effective Schools are Engaging Schools: Student Engagement Policy Guidelines resource supports Building Respectful and Safe Schools. It states that all Victorian government schools must have a Student Engagement Policy. This Policy must outline strategies that promote positive student behaviour and respect with the aim to prevent bullying and anti-social behaviour within the physical school environment as well as broader learning situations such as digital learning environments.
For more information see: