At Penrith Anglican College, we are committed to providing a safe, supportive environment, which extends to how we navigate the rapidly changing digital landscape.

Currently, there is a significant national focus on online safety and student privacy. Legislative shifts, such as Australia's minimum age restrictions on social media for children under 16, reflect a growing consensus that digital environments require more careful oversight. Accordingly, we are proactively reviewing our approach to online communications and how we share student images and details.

While we have not made any decisions yet, we are reviewing our current approach in line with emerging guidance from our professional associations and government agencies, ensuring a thoughtful, collaborative process.

Why Evolving Digital Safety Matters

Celebrating student achievements and milestones is a cherished part of our College culture, and we fully intend to continue preserving these precious school memories for families. However, the digital space has become increasingly complex. Generative AI tools make it easy to scrape, copy, alter, or repurpose public images without consent.

Our professional associations, including the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), are actively briefing school leaders on these legal and ethical challenges. Furthermore, the eSafety Commissioner warns that once an image is published on a public platform, a school loses control over how it is copied, saved, or distributed. Accompanying details like uniforms, locations, or names can also make student routines visible to external actors.

Striking the Right Balance

Guidance from the eSafety Commissioner and other research-informed frameworks, such as the Principles for Guiding Social Media Use in Education, encourages schools to adopt a 'risk-based' approach that considers the purpose, audience, and settings of every post. As part of our review, we are exploring:

• Ensuring public posts have a clear, planned purpose and minimise unnecessary personal details.
• Creating a clearer distinction between broad public-facing marketing and private, secure channels (such as password-protected newsletters or platforms) for day-to-day school stories.
• Evaluating secure technology solutions that let families safely download photos of their children without broadcasting them publicly.
• Empowering students through active conversations about digital footprints, data rights, and consent.

A Collaborative Journey Ahead

Evolving our practices in response to technological change is an ongoing, community-wide effort. Our professional associations and government regulators are continuing to provide valuable guidance, and we are committed to moving forward thoughtfully, deliberately, and in consultation with our families.

We are not rushed to make immediate changes, but rather to make the right changes that safeguard our students while strengthening our community connections. We want to model responsible digital citizenship for our young people, helping them navigate an online world with confidence and dignity.

We will keep you closely informed as our review progresses and look forward to partnering with you on this important work. In the meantime, we encourage parents to explore the practical resources and tips on sharing children's photos safely available on the eSafety Commissioner's website https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, trust, and shared commitment to our students' wellbeing.

Photo Courtesy of the eSafety Commissioner Australia