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Auckland's Birkenhead college has been criticised by civil liberties advocates for requiring parents to install what it calls "spyware" on their children's devices.
The college has advised parents their children will not be able to use the wifi at school on their personal phones, tablets or laptops unless they authorise the "Family Zone" app.
The app lets parents manage the amount of time their children spend on devices, as well as blocking certain websites. Parents receive an alert if their child tries to access a blocked site, and a weekly report on what websites their children have looked at.
Thomas Beagle from the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties says it's deeply problematic and the school has taken a step too far. Also Richard Dykes Chair of the Auckland Secondary Principals' Association.
