Highland mum claims children able to access porn on school devices
The woman claims her child, who is under the age of 10, managed to access pornographic material after searching for a medical term.
Last updated 27th Jan 2023
Investigations are ongoing as a mum claims explicit content was viewed on school-registered online accounts in Highland.
The woman says her child, who is under the age of 10, managed to access pornographic material after searching for a medical term.
After they told her about the incident, she says she could access the content through her other child's device which is also linked to a school authorised account.
The mum, who we're keeping anonymous, says she feels "sick" at the situation and feels the local authority aren't taking accountability.
Due to all Highland schools using the same internet security mechanisms, there are fears this could be a region wide issue.
Highland Council say they're looking into the matter and pupil safety is a priority.
"I barely slept"
The mum says the incident on January 20th involved several children in her child's class.
Once she heard what had occurred, she decided to test the online system out for herself.
To her horror, she was able to access different types of explicit content using her primary school aged child's account and also on her secondary school aged child's account, both using home WiFi.
In footage seen by MFR News, the mum has screen recorded herself gaining access to at least one website depicting pornographic material using her child's account.
She reported the issue on January 21st, and we understand Highland Council were made aware on January 23rd.
As of earlier today, X-rated material could still be accessed using her child's Google account.
The mum outlined how she felt when she heard about the alleged incident.
She said: "I felt sick at the thought of it, I barely slept.
"I felt like I had let my child down by trusting the security system without ever testing it for myself.
"But why would I? Highland Council have far more resources than I do, and I'm able to keep them safe online at home.
"My child was withdrawn, feeling sick and unable to tell us what had happened.
"After a while, they were able to tell us, but there has been a lot of confusion and they've expressed that they wish they'd never seen it.
"I think it's too soon to say how viewing such explicit material has impacted them in the long run."
Council "decided not to take accountability"
Although some websites which were accessed last week have now been blocked, the mum says she's not impressed with the local authority's response.
She added: "They have refused to acknowledge my request to either remove all children's access to the school internet, or inform parents immediately.
"Instead they have decided not to take accountability."
The mum also outlined how she has a background in IT.
She said: "I understand that in any system, some leaks will occur and this is why education and supervision are so important.
"The sheer scale of the problem has completely shocked me.
"I have a background in web design and email security, so while I'm aware of common issues and methods, I don't have experience with the kind of system a school would need.
"I have enough experience to see that it's unsafe, this is why I've requested a third-party audit by experts in this field."
Online safety training delivered to all Highland schools
Highland Council’s Executive Chief Officer for Education, Nicky Grant, confirmed they are looking into the matter.
She said: "Chromebooks supplied to all Highland pupils are protected by the student safety filter ‘Securly’ and all appropriate filtering configurations are in place to protect pupils.
"We can confirm that The Highland Council has received a complaint and are investigating the allegations with Securly and a response will be provided in due course to the complainant.
"The Council delivers online safety support and training to all Highland Schools, and this is an equally crucial part of keeping children safe.
"We would like to assure all parents and carers that pupil and staff safety is a priority of The Highland Council."
We've contacted Securly for comment.