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A Meta executive has assured parents and teachers that Meta Quest headsets<\/a> tabbed for use in school settings will come with measures and controls that allow teachers to supervise students using them.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not going to be used in the classroom unless teachers feel they have complete visibility and control of what\u2019s going on,\u201d Sir Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta, told Sky News<\/a>. \u201cAnd crucially, that parents, particularly of the younger kids, feel that too, otherwise, why would you use this in an educational setting?\u201d<\/p>\n Clegg\u2019s cautious tone arises from increasing worries about child safety in the metaverse<\/a>. Meta has introduced a new program enabling schools to incorporate virtual and augmented reality into their curriculum. The initiative allows teachers to manage the use of VR headsets for multiple students simultaneously in the classroom.<\/p>\n Students age 13 and older will have the opportunity to explore the metaverse directly from their classrooms, engaging in immersive educational experiences. These activities could include virtual tours of museums, language practice in diverse settings, and exploring 3D renditions of otherwise inaccessible environments.<\/p>\n Clegg also noted the company has introduced a \u201cshared mode\u201d feature, which prevents children from accessing the Meta Quest<\/a> store to download new apps or games into a school-provided headset. In addition, this mode ensures that other users cannot identify the school user.<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cIt\u2019ll be a much more engaged, participatory, and immersive experience than is currently the case in the classroom and an entirely safe one for that reason because the teachers will be fully in control.\u201d<\/p>\n The school-oriented product is expected to be launched by Meta later this year.<\/p>\n In a 2023 blog on Meta\u2019s site, Clegg wrote<\/a>, \u201cThis isn\u2019t science fiction or wishful thinking \u2014 it is happening right now.\u201d At N and S high schools, Japan\u2019s largest online schools, more than 6,000 students use Meta Quest 2 headsets to engage in virtual reality learning. \u201cTheir teachers report that this enhances the learning experience and enables students to nurture social skills even when they are physically far away,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Meta still draws a wary eye when it comes to children\u2019s safety. Recently the parent company of Facebook and Instagram was criticized for lowering the minimum age to use its WhatsApp<\/a> messaging service in the UK and Europe, to 13 years old, from 16. The UK-based advocacy group Smartphone Free Childhood deplored the change. \u201cWhatsApp are putting shareholder profits first and children\u2019s safety second<\/a>,\u201d Daisy Greenwell, the group\u2019s co-founder, said in a statement.<\/p>\nHow is Meta\u2019s virtual reality being used in schools?<\/h2>\n