"Web sites are put into categories by external organisations. Our web content filters use categories initially and then we apply rules to unblock excepted individual web sites on request.
The Society and Culture category is blocked by default for pupils in schools (not teachers) - this was agreed by Education Services in consultation with schools, as it contains a wide variety of subjects - home life and family related topics, including weddings, births and funerals; parenting tips and family planning; non-pornographic LGBT issues; foreign cultures and socio-cultural information and non-explicit tattoo and piercing parlours.
We have no information about why the Yes Scotland web site is classified as Society and Culture, rather than Politics.
Beyond the default categories, Internet content filtering in schools is controlled at the individual school level. Category filtering is the first 'level' of default filtering that the council uses. Subsequently, schools can then request that individual web sites are unblocked and there is a standard, agreed process for this by an authorised person in the school logging a request with the ICT Servicedesk. Once this request is agreed by education services, ICT will apply an exception rule to the requested web site and it is then available for viewing."
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