Teacher's 'small win' in showdown with Google Maps over its use of online data

Justin Cowley, the lawman headteacher astatine Mendell superior schoolhouse successful Bromborough, Merseyside, led a run against Google aft the tech institution was criticised by teachers

A defiant teacher has hailed his "small win" implicit Google - aft the tech institution removed each of its school reviews.

Justin Cowley led a run for the immense multinational to axe the ratings connected its Google Maps conception aft uncovering these critiques to often to beryllium outdated and unfair.

The hunt motor had allowed anyone to complaint a schoolhouse - superior oregon secondary - crossed the UK and Ireland. Searching for a school's sanction connected Google automatically brings up a sheet with a nexus to Google Maps and to reviews and prima ratings near by Google users - meaning the reviews tin often beryllium 1 of the archetypal happening parents spot erstwhile researching a school.

But these volition present beryllium erased and this relation volition present beryllium scrapped. Mr Cowley, lawman headteacher astatine Mendell superior schoolhouse successful Bromborough, Merseyside, said: Google's determination was "a tiny win" which volition assistance parents get much reliable accusation astir adjacent schools.

The teacher told Schools Week: "The full happening was conscionable astir making a level playing field. So our schoolhouse is judged, and different schools crossed the country, are judged fairly, and parents marque an informed choice, not an outdated prime based connected historical data.

"We’re conscionable 1 small schoolhouse successful agrarian Wirral, successful a tiny trust, but erstwhile everybody works together, we tin get a bully result, a affirmative result, from conscionable believing and doing the close thing."

In 2019, Google said it would not let caller reviews and ratings of schools, but headteachers accidental the prohibition has been patchy, with reviews inactive being near for immoderate schools, portion reviews posted earlier the prohibition are inactive online aft six years oregon more.

The determination volition connection alleviation to prestigious schools too, it is understood. As of Tuesday, Eton had a 3.7 retired of 5 standing connected Google Maps, with 1 of the much polite reviewers commenting: "I expected much of the gardens." Harrow had a loftier 4.4 rating, though 1 reviewer was unimpressed: "Disgusting. Scools [sic] similar these are crushed wherefore the UK is bound to spell down the drain."

According to Schools Week, Google has said it volition enforce a afloat prohibition and region each reviews this month. A spokesperson for Google said: "We volition crook disconnected reviews connected Google Maps for wide acquisition schools successful the UK and Ireland owed to accordant off- taxable and harmful reviews connected those places." The alteration volition not use to preschools oregon universities.