Email
The department provides all Queensland state school staff and students with an Education Queensland email account hosted in Microsoft Office 365.
All emails sent to and from Queensland state school students are scanned by Microsoft's automated systems to identify viruses, phishing scams, spam and other malicious materials.
Schools determine when they will provide the details of the email account to students.
Microsoft 365
Students in Queensland state schools have free access to Microsoft 365, a suite of productivity tools designed to enhance learning and collaboration. This includes applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams and cloud storage for files through OneDrive.
Access to these tools support students in their studies, enabling them to create, collaborate and communicate effectively both in and out of the classroom. Students can use Microsoft 365 on multiple devices including laptops and mobile devices.
Internet filtering
The department has a responsibility in ensuring the safety of students while using the internet at school and on school-provided devices.
Through the internet filtering system Broadcom Symantec WebFilter, the type of content that students may be exposed to while online is restricted by the system’s website categorisation process.
Access restrictions are enforced by filtering categories and policies. Categories are assigned to web pages and web applications based on site content. Categories play a role in determining
what online services are unblocked or blocked for students.
The department ensures websites and web applications are blocked if they are inappropriate, malicious, illegal, dangerous or conflict departmental policy. Students can speak with their teacher if they believe an evaluation of a website or web application should be completed.
Students accessing the internet at home on a school device, will continue to experience internet filtering comparable to their experience at school. Parents/caregivers can request to reduce the level of filtering restrictions on their child’s take home school device by speaking with their school and accepting the risks associated with increasing their access to ‘Medium’ level.
Parents are reminded that filtering and monitoring systems are not foolproof and do not replace the need for parental supervision when children are online. Vigilance is vital regardless of the device your child is using to access the internet.
There are a number of online resources for parents and caregivers to help support their child’s online experiences.
Please remember, as a parent or caregiver you play an important role in helping your children have safe and positive experiences online. Be vigilant and keep an eye on what your child is doing.
Wi-fi
In recent years, there has been much discussion about the possible effects of electromagnetic radiation on human health, including both radio frequency (RF) and power frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF).
Standards
The department follows both Australian and international standards for the installation and use of technology, including wi-fi in schools:
The department has a number of measures in place to ensure staff and student safety in regard to the use of wi-fi and portable devices, including:
- creation of a third-party standing arrangement to provide an audit capability ensuring the department’s contractors are accredited with respect to their compliance with network infrastructure standards—schools can use this service for electromagnetic radiation audits
- recommendations that at all times the manufacturers guidelines are followed when using ICT equipment.
Free Microsoft Office 365 for students and school staff
Microsoft Office 365 apps for Enterprise (previously Office 365) is provided to all Queensland state school teaching staff and students. This license allows staff and students to install Microsoft Office 365 apps on up to 5 personal devices at no cost. The suite includes tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.
Students and staff can access Microsoft Office 365 apps for free by visiting the
Microsoft 365 Account Portal and signing in with their school credentials.
The license for use on personal devices is valid for the duration of enrolment or employment at a Queensland state school.