Article written by Kirra Pendergast, Founder & Human Digital Risk Strategist, CTRL+SHFT
There was a time, not that long ago, when a school’s online presence was a novelty. A newsletter sent home in backpacks was enough. A website with enrolment info was progressive. But those days are way behind us, and everyone in the system knows it.
Marketing teams now speak in the language of connection and reach. School stories are told with polish and purpose. But here’s what we’re not talking about.
The risks are growing faster than our awareness.
Not because anyone’s been careless, but because digital risk is shifting under our feet, and quietly taking the rules with it.
What used to be a simple class photo can now spark a formal complaint. A short video capturing the joy of learning can, in the wrong hands or wrong context, become a reason for concern. A parent sharing a proud moment might unknowingly violate another family’s privacy. These aren’t outliers. They’re becoming normal.
And when things go wrong, the fallout lands with leadership. On the desks of principals, business managers, marketing staff, and communications officers. It shows up as fear, confusion, overcorrection.
We’ve seen early childhood education centres remove all student photos overnight. We’ve seen school Facebook pages shut down completely, not out of clarity, but out of not knowing what else to do. We’ve seen teams delete documentation required by law, just to avoid a breach. Digital safety needs to move upstream. Into planning meetings. Into policy reviews. Into the daily decisions that shape how a school shows up in the world.
It’s not about paranoia but it is about protection because when a child’s image is misused, the trust breaks. And when trust breaks in education, it takes years to rebuild.
We don’t need panic we need a plan we need calm leadership, informed decisions, and systems built not just for visibility, but for dignity. This isn’t about stopping the story from being told. It’s about telling it in a way that keeps everyone safe.
