Pearse Doherty
Question:96. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education the first- and full-year cost of the ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free’ initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40538/24]
View answerWednesday, 9 October 2024
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Written answers
The wellbeing of all learners is a key priority of the Department, as well as the empowerment of parents and school communities through education and information. It was with this in mind that my Department published guidelines last November for parents of primary-age children called Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free. These guidelines provide practical advice and suggestions to support parents and Parent Associations wishing to develop voluntary codes regarding smartphone use among primary school children. The aim is to support parents who wish to come together with their school community to explore and agree the best approach to mediate their children’s engagement with the online world through the use of a smartphone device, including adopting a voluntary code for their children to not have a smartphone until a certain point in time.
Following the publication of the guidelines, a series of parent information sessions were held in various education centres throughout the county in relation to the smartphone guidelines and on online safety in general. A series of online webinars was also held. In addition, a “Digital Citizenship Champions” programme has been initiated with the aim of providing professional development to about 90 primary school teachers who will become “Digital Citizenship Champions”. The programme is designed around three key aspects: being online, well-being online and rights online. These champions will provide both in-person and online workshops and information sessions at their respective education centres.
The cost for the first full year of the initiative is approximately €70,000, which has been met from within existing allocations. The valuable work of Webwise, part of the Irish Safer Internet Centre, and co-funded by my Department and the EU, has also been sanctioned to increase staffing so as to add to their capacity.
Webwise promotes the autonomous, effective and safe use of the internet by young people through a sustained information and awareness strategy targeting school leaders, teachers, parents and children themselves with consistent and relevant messages. It develops and disseminates resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools.
As a further support for learner wellbeing, under Budget 20205 once-off capital investment of €9 million (ca. €20 per student) has also been made available to fund the purchase of mobile phone storage solutions such as lockable pouches for post-primary schools to enable the implementation of the recently announced ban on the use of and access to student mobile phones during the school day.