All parents invited to internet and phone safety talk

Principals of the Mullingar Parish national schools meet regularly to discuss matters of common interest and concern, and one that is prominent recently is the effect of internet use on young children.

Such is the level of concern that the schools have organised a talk for parents, and extended the invite to the other schools in the area. It is a free event, at the Mullingar Park Hotel this Thursday (May 15), aimed at equipping parents with knowledge and skills to manage online behaviour.

The local principals say there are increasing numbers of children who are over-tired in class or whose behaviour is disruptive, and they have pinpointed excessive and inappropriate use of the internet and online gaming as leading causes. That has coincided with an increase in the number of worries parents discuss with teachers, whether it is a child being upset because of an online comment or the dangers of online predators.

Part of the problem is the social pressure on families to provide smartphones to children at younger ages, and parents and teachers question whether children are mature enough to handle what they can encounter online.

Schools in Greystones have shown a path forward as they brokered a voluntary agreement with parents to postpone smartphone use among their children.

Such an agreement can take the pressure of parents, as they can blame the schools for the restriction.

The Mullingar Parish schools asked parents to take part in a survey, the conclusive result of which was that 91 per cent said that they don’t believe primary school children should have smartphones; and 81 per cent said they would be willing to sign up to voluntary agreements not to give primary school children smartphones.

The next step is raising awareness that there is an appetite among parents in the Mullingar area to do something like the Greystones example.

“If we knew that we were all in it together, perhaps it would make it easier just to say, no, let’s wait till you’re mature enough,” said the principals in a statement to the Westmeath Examiner.

The objective of the meeting on Thursday is to get the message out to parents that a lot of people feel the same way on the subject.

“We are worried about this. We are seeing a lot of issues raise their heads in the local primary schools, and perhaps we need to come together and do something about it.”

Details

This Thursday, May 15, there is an internet and phone safety talk in the Mullingar Park Hotel at 8pm. It is a free event and a collaboration on the part of the primary schools in the parish. A guest speaker from the National Garda Cyber Information Unit will discuss:

• Trends in children’s online activity

• Identify and make parents aware of potential online risks

• Develop effective strategies to protect children online.

The principals said in a statement that while all schools embrace the positives of technology in teaching and learning, we equally need to armour ourselves and the children in our care against the negative impacts. We must recognise that technology can also be a tool used to cause hurt and pain.

All parents whose children attend the local primary schools are encouraged to attend an informative and educational event.”

Schools: Holy Family Primary School; Presentation Junior and Senior; St Mary’s Primary; St Colman’s National School; St Colmcille’s National School, Gainstown; Gaelscoil an Mhuilinn; All Saints National School; St Kenny NS; St Brigid’s School.