SCHOOLS GUIDED ON PROTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE
A CLARE national school is to launch a groundbreaking ‘technology agreement’ with parents.
Parents of pupils at Clarecastle National School will sign a document which will lay out when students can and cannot use smartphones at school and at home.
The idea came about after parents and teachers decided it was time to tackle the problems arising out of children bringing phones and tablets into school.
The school found that the majority of students were playing games online – and half of those were playing interactive games with other players.
Principal of the school Martin Moloney said: ‘We found from talking to the children that they feel safer online when boundaries are set. There is awful social pressure for children now to take part in social media and be a part of chat groups on certain apps.’
Mr Moloney told the Irish Daily Mail he was drafting the document so students would no longer be permitted to bring smartphones and tablets into the school come September.
News of the plans comes just weeks after St Brendan’s National School in Blennerville, near Tralee, began an 11-week pilot programme banning smartphones, both at school and at home.
‘In September, pupils would not be permitted to have smartphones in school. This agreement will be between parents and staff at the school,’ Mr Moloney said. The parents at Clarecastle, which has 392 pupils, were surveyed after the Easter holidays.
‘On the night we launch our technology agreement, we will have experts show parents how to get smart with online apps and safeguards,’ Mr Moloney said.