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Since the mid-1990s, the question of whether Internet content should be screened by Internet service providers, schools and libraries has been the subject of hot debate-within legislative bodies, before the courts and within those organizations themselves.
The Consortium for School Networking has long argued that the decision on whether to manage and monitor Internet usage, and, if so, how best to do it, belongs at the local level. Each school, school district or educational network is best equipped to evaluate its own needs, based on such factors as community norms, the sophistication of its students or users, and its particular computer infrastructure. The "one-size-fits-all" approach advocated by some political leaders fails to acknowledge that not all schools and school districts are alike, and that a solution that may be appropriate for one school district may not be appropriate for the next. Further, CoSN believes that mandating a particular solution will bring to a halt that technological innovation that has been the hallmark of this market since it first emerged.
CoSN launched the "Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse" project in the fall of 2000 to help school leaders understand the issues involved in managing Internet content. Its goal was to build on the extensive work that the school community had already done to create positive online experiences for children. At that time, CoSN released a briefing paper, the goal of which was to help school leaders understand the technological options that were available to them, and to frame questions that should be considered when making a decision about whether to control their students' access to the Internet.
Promoting Online Safety for Students: A Toolkit for School Leaders.
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