Embedded Files
The page below has information for parents who wish to:
know how the laptop is being used
add filtering to their home network
add software to a laptop to allow electronic supervision/control
Please be aware that no system is foolproof, and we believe the best course of action is for parents to have open constructive dialogue and be involved in the use of laptops, phones, tablets and game consoles, setting guidelines about their use in the home, and educating students in safe, appropriate and legal behaviour.
Cyber Safety Workshop 2024.mp4KGV Workshops:
Over the year we deliver workshops and parental engagement sessions in this space. Above is the video from one of these workshops.
We have recently reached out to our parent body (and will continue to do so) to ask what more bespoke workshops/information the school can facilitate in order to support safe tech use by our students.
We will be looking to facilitate more of these in the first half of 2025. One recent issue in Hong Kong is students being in WhatsApp groups where:
Students were added without permission but didn't leave the group for fear of missing out
Inappropriate material was shared, stored and reshared.
For more information on how parents can help educate and support students using this type of social media safely please review our Whatsapp tips page.
More pages/workshops are in the pipeline for 2025, but Common Sense Media website, see below, has some great up-to-date articles on Discord, Instagram, Youtube etc...
In the same way that we cannot control everything students read and talk about, we cannot control everything they see and do electronically. Students can access the internet via our school network, home networks, and their friend's networks via mobile phones and dongles. Students can share material via USB flashdrives, email, bluetooth and phones. The best way to help students behave appropriately is to provide guidance and education, and for them to do these things in social areas with friends and adults around.
There are lots of articles on the following sites that are constantly updated and that we think are useful about families and media use:
Checking how a laptop is being used
Checking how a laptop is being used
This section covers checking what is currently running, and inspecting the web browsing history.
Look in 3 places to see applications that are currently running
The task bar (usually at the foot of the screen ) shows programs that are running.
If the taskbar is hidden, students should expect parents and teachers to ask to see it.
Browsers may have many tabs open. Each tab represents a different webpage or website. Tabs are usually located at the top of the browser.
Note that it is common to leave tabs open for days at a time. Just because Facebook is open in a tab, doesn't prove that it is being used.
The system tray (usually bottom right corner of the screen) shows programs that are running in the background. Click the small triangle to view the full list.
Hovering the mouse over each icon will reveal the name of it. Often a right click will give you an option to find out more about it.
Look out for bittorrent clients (see the green circle in the middle of the second row in the image for an example) - these are used almost exclusively to download pirated material. We strongly discourage the use of this software.
Check Browser History
Students may use multiple browsers or "Incognito/Stealth" mode, which leaves no browsing history. This is why filtering and supervised use are important.
For Firefox:
Press Alt to reveal the top menu.
Navigate to "Show All History" for a list of visited websites. If the history is deleted, discuss why.
Use "Recently Closed Tabs" or "Recently Closed Windows" to view recently accessed sites.
To see downloaded files, go to Tools > Downloads.
For Chrome:
Click the three-dot menu (top-right corner).
Open "History" to see a list of visited sites organized by date and time. If the history is empty or incomplete, have a conversation.
Select "Downloads" to view all downloaded files.
Whilst the school has a filtering system on our school network, some students may need extra measures at home. Many KGV parents have had success using Kaspersky Safe Kids over the last few years.
This software is for parents looking for a comprehensive way to monitor and guide their children's online activity, Kaspersky Safe Kids is a highly regarded parental control software. It offers robust monitoring, app blocking, and content filtering features, making it a good choice for families who need extra support in managing technology use.
While we encourage open communication with your children about responsible online behaviour, software like Kaspersky Safe Kids can provide additional peace of mind. Below, we outline its key advantages and disadvantages to help you decide if it's the right tool for your family.
Advantages of Kaspersky Safe Kids
Comprehensive Web Filtering, Screen Time Management, App and Website Blocking, Location Tracking, Social Media Monitoring, Cross-Platform Support, and Activity Reports.
Disadvantages of Kaspersky Safe Kids
Limited Functionality on iOS Devices (due to Apple’s strict app policies, many features (e.g., app blocking and detailed usage reports) are less effective or unavailable on iPhones and iPads)
Potential for Workarounds - Tech-savvy children may find ways to bypass restrictions, such as using VPNs or incognito browsing modes. This is why communication and check-in sessions are also useful.
Over-Reliance on Technology - While the software provides control, it’s important to remember that no tool can replace the value of parental guidance and open discussions about technology use.
May Feel Intrusive - Some children may perceive constant monitoring as a breach of privacy, which could lead to frustration or mistrust.
Requires Parental Oversight - While Kaspersky Safe Kids offers robust tools, parents must actively review reports, adjust settings, and have conversations with their children to ensure the software is used effectively.
Alerts if uninstalled by students - Students have admin rights on their machines to allow security updates, antivirus and java, etc, to update without intervention. This means students could just uninstall any monitoring software. The good news is that the current version of the software will notify you if this is the case.
How to Get Started
Free Version: The free version of Kaspersky Safe Kids includes basic web filtering and screen time management.
Premium Version: Upgrading to the premium version unlocks advanced features like location tracking, social media monitoring, and detailed activity reports.
For more information or to download the software, visit the https://www.kaspersky.com/safe-kids. These types of software are constantly evolving, so please check the site for the most up-to-date information.
Final Note
Using parental control software like Kaspersky Safe Kids can be an effective tool to help manage your child’s technology use. However, we encourage parents to combine these tools with ongoing conversations about online safety, appropriate behaviour, and digital responsibility. The goal is to nurture trust and ensure your child feels supported in navigating the digital world safely.
Add filtering to your home network - Free
Add filtering to your home network - Free
Recommended. Adding filtering to your network, helps safeguard all computers, tablets, game consoles and devices in your house. Like our school network, it is not a 100% guarantee of safety, no method is foolproof, and students can still use cellular data. We can't offer technical support, but we recommend you involve your child in setting this up and searching for help if necessary.
You can use the free OpenDNS FamilyShield - it's simple to set up, no fuss, and in our testing, very effective.
Once it is set up, all devices in your home will get the new settings, the next time they reconnect to your network - you can force this immediately by restarting them.
Mobile Phone resources
Mobile Phone resources
Below are some links to help with mobile technology, again this is a drastic step that should be carefully considered before implementing:
http://www.pcmag.com/roundup/342731/the-best-parental-control-apps-for-your-phone
OTHER OPTIONS
OTHER OPTIONS
This market is constantly evolving, typing "top parental monitoring tools" into a search engine will give you a wide range of choices.
This site is an example of a review site for this type of software:
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-parental-control-software
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