EDITORIAL: Worse than China

BCFE is held in high regard for courses such media, journalism, radio, and television. However, in an increasingly internet focused world, it is in danger of damaging such a reputation with polices which block websites of high importance in the industries it purports to educate for.

More importantly the college is using public funds to implement polices which are not only interfering with an all-round education. And the blocking leads to an even greater disadvantage for students who have no internet access at home.

These students will have an even smaller chance of getting to know what the internet really is today, it will lead to an instant weakness for such students whether they enter the workplace in their chose sector or continue their education.

The blocks have no place in a modern third level education establishment, and such is even more so the case for a media focused college.

We have outlined a number of sites blocked in our cover story, but these should only be taken as examples. The broad polices could block countless sites which are at the least harmless and at most morally wrongfully blocked useful sites.

For some time last year irishstatutebook.ie was blocked, the site contains Irish law and is run by the Office of the Attorney General. Under the current system, a request must be made by students to lectures, and on to the computer technicians. Surely, this is a waste of time and resource for all involved?

The system also blocks “banned phrases” which can end up locking users out of sites just because of one or two words.

Blocking websites could be appropriated for secondary schools, but treating third level students like this amounts to counterproductive censorship. It is on par with China’s censorship of its people, not because the intent is there, but due to the results. 

The college is at fault creating a weakness in knowledge, and experience for its students. It is putting students of a small college in a disadvantage in an area that it is completely unnecessary.