‘Many teachers feel they could be held liable for pupils’ phone activities’

PRINCIPAL Joyce Perdue says many teachers worry that they may be held liable for students taking inappropriate photographs during school hours.

‘Teachers feel they might be in a vulnerable situation if children are videoing them working or teaching,’ she said.

Rathfarnham Parish National School, where Ms Perdue is the head teacher, is a Digital School of Distinction in recognition of how it integrates technology in learning and teaching. However, the school has a clear policy on the use of phones by students.

‘When I first came to the school, there was a blanket ban on phones,’ Ms Perdue said.

‘That was too hard to enforce – parents wanted their children to have phones and to be contactathe ble after school and we weren’t going to start searching bags and coats. So we said, “Okay, you can bring your phones but they must be turned off and handed in during the school day.” In general, I can hand on heart say they’re not hiding them because they are perfectly happy to get on with the school day without them.’

Ms Perdue said that while she supports a minimum age for the use of smartphones, she feels that ‘the horse has already bolted and the enforcement of such a restriction would be impossible’.

‘Like it or not, we are living in a different world now where technology is an integral part of everyone’s life,’ she said.

‘I believe we should focus on explicitly educating young people about the pitfalls and dangers out there which means sharing the stories and cases with them of what predators are doing.’

She said parents need to be more vigilant about their children’s online activity, and suggested they have a more ‘measured response’ if their children come to them with an issue relating to the internet.

‘Parents sometimes overreact so kids don’t confide in them,’ she said. ‘They don’t tell them because they’re scared their phone will be taken off them. Children need to feel their parents will provide them with support and not punish them for making mistakes online by confiscating their phones and leaving them outside their peer social group.’

The sixth class in her school go on a yearly, week-long trip to the Gaeltacht and even during that time they are only allowed their phones for an hour a day to contact home. ‘They really don’t miss them and enjoy being in the moment and not on their phones all the time,’ Ms Perdue added.