Virginia now requiring Internet safety classes in school

All those episodes of To Catch a Predator must have finally hit home for the Virginia legislature. The state is now requiring that public schools (all grade levels) teach "Internet safety" to their students. 2007-08 is the first school year the rules have been in effect. It is the first time a state has mandated such classes.

Many studies show that Internet solicitations are a real problem for underage kids. In 2006 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said that 13 percent of kids aged 10 to 17 who used the Internet received sexual advances over the web. That's significant.

There appear to be few guidelines on what these Internet safety classes should look like or what they should teach. This 17-page PDF offered by the state of Virginia is heavy on enforcing school Acceptable Use Policies while offering suggestions on where Internet safety can be incorporated into virtually all types of classes (rather than suggesting standalone courses). English teachers might encourage writing about Internet safety as an essay topic, while history teachers may offer children "Safety Tips With Officer Buckle and Gloria." Many of the suggestions, however, are not focused on Internet safety, per se, but are rather about netiquette, awareness of inaccuracies in online advertising, and discussing public policy issues related to the Internet. Much of the education appears to be focused on assemblies with guest speakers.

I'm all for teaching kids a thing or two about how to behave on the web, and what to watch out for while they're online. But while they're at it, how about throwing in some education about not clicking on pop-up ads, avoiding viruses/spyware, and making backups?