Georgios Errikos Hlapanis

02.07.2018

With online threats becoming an ever increasing part of our lives, the eSafety Label and the protection it offers in terms of guidance, protocols, etc. has never been more relevant for today’s school ecosystems.

Georgios Errikos Hlapanis, eSafety Label+ Ambassador

Headteacher of the 2nd Lyceum of Kos, Greece

Please introduce yourself and explain how and when you became involved with the eSafety Label world and what has been the impact of the eSafety Label initiative in your work? How did you benefit from the eSafety Label initiative before becoming an eSafety Label+ Ambassador?
I first found out about the eSafety Label and got involved with the initiative after a seminar about online safety in Rhodes in 2015. I think the eSafety Label has had a huge impact on my school. I decided to get involved more actively, as well as get the whole school community involved. I started an Erasmus+ project which helped me even further. Subsequently, I worked with students, teachers and experts on online safety matters which has massively improved the situation in our school.

In your opinion, what does it mean to be an eSafety Label+ Ambassador and how do you benefit from your role (or how do you think you will benefit in the upcoming months)?
Being an eSafety Label + Ambassador is an honour. I feel that my role is crucial because it grants me the opportunity (and the responsibility) to guide and help fellow teachers handle online safety matters in a better way!

What was the biggest online safety challenge you had to face in your school? How did eSafety Label help you surpass it? Also, could you please tell us what future you foresee for eSafety Label and how will you be a part of that future?
My greatest challenge in terms of online safety so far was dealing with some cyberbullying cases. But we managed to solve and abate the problem thanks to the work we had done with students and teachers, partly thanks to the eSafety label initiative and our Erasmus+ project. We were therefore able to isolate and deal with the incident before anything serious happened. I think that internet threats will become an ever increasing part of our lives, which means that the eSafety Label and the protection it offers in terms of guidance, protocols, etc. will become more relevant than ever. I think more schools and organisations will take part in the future and I will keep helping in any way I can, I consider it an obligation and a privilege to be be a part of the community in which I keep learning and am able to help others learn more. This process never ends.

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