The article analyses the importance of cybersecurity in schools and the role of the school principal in ensuring a safe digital environment.
The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with principals of general education schools. The research results revealed that educational institutions are increasingly facing cyberthreats, such as phishing emails, malicious links, or misleading messages about alleged dangers. These threats can disrupt the educational process, pose risks to data security, and damage the institution’s reputation. The findings show that school leaders’ activities in ensuring cybersecurity focus on organising preventative and interventional measures, mobilising the community, developing internal procedures and response algorithms, and cooperating with institutions. It was observed that principals often lack experience and feel psychological stress and legal responsibility for potential consequences. Different perspectives on the principal’s role emerged, from that of a key leader to one in which there is a shared community responsibility model. However, there is agreement that effective cybersecurity assurance is based on the principal acting as an educator, threat manager, prevention organiser and community mobiliser, actively involving the entire school community in building a culture of security.
In recent years, crises affecting both the world and Lithuania have posed challenges to educational institutions, prompting them to adapt quickly. This article presents the results of a quantitative study that explores the well-being of Lithuanian teachers and influential factors during the organisation of remote learning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey results (n=129) revealed that younger teachers with less work experience felt more comfortable and were more satisfied with remote teaching than their older, more experienced colleagues. Conversely, older teachers with longer tenure found remote teaching more challenging and anxiety-inducing. However, older teachers with longer experience rated their competencies in lesson organisation, emotional
support for students and parents, and student engagement more positively than younger colleagues. The study results emphasise that the primary factors affecting teachers’ well-being during remote teaching include stress levels, age, work experience, limited technological, didactic and social-emotional competencies, and the methodological and emotional support provided by the school leadership and administration.