MOE Says Device Management App Blocks ‘Questionable’ Sites But Doesn’t Track Personal Info
In June 2020, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that all secondary school students will get a digital learning device for home-based learning (HBL) by this year.
All Sec School Students To Get Digital Learning Devices By 2021, 7 Years Earlier Than Planned
The Device Management Application (DMA) to be installed in every device, however, met with concerns over infringing students’ privacy.
Responding to these concerns, MOE said the DMA does not keep track of students’ personal information.
Device Management App to be installed in all HBL devices
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the DMA’s function includes tracking students’ online activities and search history, as well as the device’s operating system.
The DMA helps schools and parents better manage students’ learning, as it blocks access to questionable sites, including pornography and gambling, says MOE.
It also makes device troubleshooting easier, reports CNA.
The DMA will not only be pre-installed in all digital learning services purchased from the school, but also personal ones used for HBL will need to have it downloaded.
Over 6,000 signed petition against the DMA
However, at the time of writing, over 6,300 have signed an online petition against mandatory installation of the DMA.
The petition expresses concerns over the limited freedom and privacy the DMA leaves students.
Besides infringing on their privacy, the DMA may potentially endanger students’ data, making them vulnerable should the system be breached, cites the petition.
The petition met with considerable support, having garnered over 6,000 signatures in just over a week.
MOE clarifies DMA does not track personal information
In light of privacy concerns, MOE clarified on Monday (1 Feb) that the DMA does not keep record of students’ personal information.
This includes locations, identification numbers and passwords, reports CNA.
The data from DMA will also be stored in protected servers with tightly controlled access. Mr Loh, MOE’s divisional director of educational technology, was quoted as saying:
This is in line with the Government’s personal data laws and policies to safeguard sensitive data collected by public agencies.
DMA has boons & banes
Even though it allows others to monitor students’ online activities, the DMA also serves many other functions.
They include uploading of teaching materials for remote learning, as well as user-friendly reminders to prevent straining the eye from overuse.
As the petition mentioned, students do understand schools need to monitor HBL one way or another to ensure quality learning. They hope therefore, a compromise can be struck.
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