Saturday 14 December 2013

Internet in schools: Malaysian parents concerned about privacy, want online ads banned

Do you currently have school-going children?

Do you believe that the use of internet in schools will provide your children essential skills for the future? If your answer is yes, you are not alone. Many Malaysian parents think so, too, according to survey.

But like myself, a majority of those surveyed want online advertising or data mining of children’s personal information prohibited.


In-school internet access - the good and the bad. Infographic source: Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) and SafeGov.org



The survey found that 92% of Malaysian parents want all advertising-related practices to be banned from such services in schools with 82% calling for the government to pass a law to ban all advertising-related activities from online services in schools.



Are connected classrooms beneficial?


Definitely. More than three quarters of parents surveyed felt that Internet use would help their children to learn creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking. Furthermore, about 75% believe that it would aid their children to acquire essential skills for competing in this century.

Of course there are dark side to the use of certain internet services in schools - or for that matter, anywhere. Advertising services that engage in data mining are always of concern.



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