e-Courier - Removal of Password Protection

e-Courier Action Forum

A number of headteachers have been working with the Education Department to help improve the e-Courier through the e-Courier Action Forum. The changes you have seen to the e-Courier over recent months are a consequence of this work.

Two developments have led to the need to plan a significant change for the e-Courier. that this MI Sheet explains. The planned change is being made at the suggestion and with the agreement of the e-Courier Action Forum.

With effect from the new year the e-Courier will move out of School Management Resources where it is currently held, into the public side of EsiNet. This will mean that a password will no longer be required to access the e-Courier

Reasons for this change

Despite several requests, some schools have failed to provide school staff and governors with the password to School Management Resources. Teachers’ professional associations and governor representatives have raised concerns that this is disenfranchising some of their membership from this important method of communication.

The requirement to respond to access requests under the Freedom of Information Act comes into force from 1st January 2005. The Act also requires all public authorities to consider what information they should put in the public domain. With this in mind we have been monitoring the content of the e-Courier for some time to assess what content, if any, cannot go into the public domain. None has been found. Of course, if an item should appear in the future that cannot be published in the public domain, an appropriate alternate route will be used to get the information to you.

An issue to be aware of

Putting the e-Courier into the public domain means that parents, members of the community, in fact the world can and will be able to access the e-Courier at the same time as you. Previously headteachers have had a ‘breathing space’ between publication and others becoming aware of the publication. In that time headteachers have been able to consider their view and so are able to respond later down the line. This new of working means that people, in particular parents and staff, will have to come to realise that the management response to issues will follow at an appropriate after publication. We therefore suggest that in informing staff and parents of this new e-Courier service you also advise the time delay you value being built into the system. This should be acceptable to all reasonable people as it is the way schools work on other issues that are broadcast nationally.

If you have any concerns about this please forward them to a colleague member of the e-Courier Action Forum or to The Editor of the e-Courier.