Copyright changes: A critical challenge for schools

Introduction | The critical challenge for your school | Reasons for taking action | How to get things moving

Introduction

Schools are being transformed by the assimilation of information and communication technology into their core activities.

In this process the effective management of information resources – technology, content and expertise – is a growing challenge for school leadership. The legal responsibilities concerning information management hinge largely on copyright law.

In the last two years copyright law has gone through major reform to keep pace with changes in how people are using information and to reflect advances in communication technology.

It is important that you understand the key reforms and changes in both copyright law and its operation to take action at a local school level.

The critical challenge for your school

In the life of a school principal there are many areas of responsibility, copyright is not necessarily on the top of your agenda. However copyright should be a key consideration in any school’s information management strategy.

As principal you are instrumental in:

• change management concerning technology and the information economy;
• professional development and awareness of staff around copyright and information management practices;
• building a school culture that values and respects intellectual endeavour and honours the access privileges accorded to the education sector; and
• modelling responsible information practices to students as the new generation of knowledge workers.

Reasons for taking action

The imperatives for schools to introduce and promote more responsible information management practices include:

Legal responsibility
Under copyright law, you as school principal and in certain instances your School Council can be held responsible for authorising infringements of copyright if:

• the relevant requirements of the Act have not been implemented within your school; and/or
• you have not made users aware of their copyright obligations.

Changing culture and practices
Increasingly within schools, teaching and learning content is digital in delivery, and format. This is a major cultural shift from textbook-based to multi-sourced based curriculum materials. For schools this shift creates pressures in the sourcing and the resourcing of curriculum materials that need to be actively managed.

Cost shifts
In an increasingly decentralised school management environment shifts in resourcing responsibilities from education departments to schools is a reality.

Currently payment of statutory and voluntary licensing charges for use of copyrighted materials occurs centrally in government and Catholic education authorities. This arrangement has protected schools from the reality of their expenditure in this area. Given the escalating consumption of hard copy and digital information in schools and increased charges, this arrangement may not be indefinitely sustainable.

How to get things moving

As a busy professional, you don”t want to waste time with piecemeal solutions. We offer an outline of what critical actions your school must put in place to be legally compliant with copyright, and also to take a whole school approach to responsible information management.

The Copyright Aware website provides you with:

• summary of the three areas of copyright change, to get you on top of the issues;
• a strategy outline on taking whole of school action;
• an action pack of resources to help you implement your strategy; and
• resource links and information if you choose to follow-up further copyright issues.