Tech Failures in Schools
Perspectives of a FinTech Founder-CEO (and Father)
One of the great advantages of technology (Tech) is that it provides a recorded history that can be inspected for truth and accuracy. The blockchain is perhaps the best example of this, but assuming your school’s Tech backend isn’t blockchain-enabled, the most effective—if not the only—way to properly investigate a system failure is through a Tech-focused audit. If there is suspicion of a crime or significant harm caused by one person to another, then a comprehensive forensic audit conducted by independent, qualified professionals using reliable and tested tools is essential.
Such an investigation and its subsequent report must be of a quality that can stand up in a court of law. At a minimum, it should serve as critical input for those responsible for governing the school’s Tech platforms and the way those platforms engage with stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, staff, and governors.
In the event of a material breach of the school’s Tech policies or a significant misuse of its platforms by any stakeholder, a thorough investigation is warranted. If systemic failure occurs and results in any stakeholders suffering harm—possibly leading to the pursuit of legal action against the school or its officials—a forensic audit would likely become indispensable.
While I won’t delve into the various Tech-based ecosystems that schools use, I am addressing the scenario in which a Tech failure occurs, causing personal harm to teachers or students. Without an investigation to understand the events leading up to the failure, the failure itself, and its fallout, what can management do? Will they merely tweak some policies and procedures to cover up symptoms, or will they address the root cause of the failure—be it Tech or human?
Material Tech breaches in non-educational institutions are generally taken very seriously, and specialists are often brought in to handle the matter professionally and confidentially. Decisions to appoint digital forensic investigators usually consider the financial and reputational risks involved. For public institutions, where citizen data and safety may also be compromised, these decisions are even more critical. Educational institutions, particularly those serving young individuals, should adopt the highest standard of care.
The decision to conduct a digital forensic investigation in a school must consider the Tech platforms central to the incident as well as how humans used—or misused—them. These platforms range from enterprise systems managing business processes to communication interfaces such as email, WhatsApp, and digital & media platforms. Most of these technologies are cloud-based, meaning a competent forensic investigator can access valuable data points from third-party providers. Additionally, they should be equipped to address manipulated or fraudulent schemes, including fake WhatsApp messages created by ‘platforms’ that are unfortunately accessible via app stores.
In the event of a serious breach involving a school’s Tech ecosystems, a forensic investigation should be conducted using appropriate specialists and tools. When requested by affected parties, such investigations should proceed as a matter of policy. If urgent—where prejudice or harm to one or more parties is ongoing—then appointing a forensic auditor and completing the investigation promptly becomes even more critical.
A school’s failure to conduct a digital forensic investigation when circumstances demand it—particularly when requested by affected stakeholders—represents a significant failure of governance. Such inaction not only undermines trust but also leaves individuals, such as students, parents, and teachers, vulnerable to further harm.
Candidate for a Case Study*
My personal experience of Tech failures in schools began in June 2020 when 7 students and 25 teachers were falsely accused—with a lot of publicity and support from the school’s governors—of racism following the death of George Floyd in the USA (most of these cases involved Tech in one form or another). One of those students—my daughter—was, in a victimless case, falsely accused by the Head of Girls’ College of:
“Racism, racist conduct, or other offensive behaviour,” and
“Dissemination of a WhatsApp communication with an [sic] alleged racist content.”
Despite her repeated denials, no victim, no witnesses, the absence of evidence, our alerts about the possibility of the “screenshot” of “WhatsApp” being fake—which was accepted at her hearing—and multiple requests by both her and me for a digital forensic inquiry—which were denied—she was sanctioned despite no findings as to her guilt.
The two sanctions were appealed and overturned several months later by an independent senior advocate appointed and paid by the school. His report was scathing toward the school’s leadership and governance practices—also expressing perplexity as to why a digital forensic inquiry had not been conducted despite requests.
Tech Failure vs Human Failure
This was not a “Tech” failure—it was a human failure—a failure by the school’s leadership, who claim to uphold high educational standards and moral values while acting in the best interests of the institution, its teachers, and students. Leadership failures of this nature can have severe consequences, and in my daughter’s case, the school and three senior officials are now being sued in two separate courts.
The governance failures stemming from negligent and malicious use of Tech in her former school become even more pronounced when its auditors, advisors, regulators, and professional associations—despite being alerted—choose to ignore the issue and enable a cover-up. Such behaviour, in my opinion, allows for similar incidents to recur in this and other schools, potentially with tragic consequences for the falsely accused, including suicide.
Best Practice for Schools
I urge all institutions, particularly schools, to adopt a more constructive and honest approach to Tech when faced with failures involving human interactions. Tech is your ally—if used correctly. By engaging forensic investigators to uncover honest, expedited facts and data, schools can make informed decisions and improve governance standards not just for their institution and its stakeholders but for the broader education sector and society as a whole.
*More information about the case is available here—currently in 13 parts—with updates to follow.