Education Minister Norma Foley says new guidelines approved by Cabinet to encourage parents not to buy smartphones for primary school children.
The plan will be based on the example of eight schools in Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
Parents of primary school pupils in Greystones have collectively agreed not to buy smartphones for their children, reports RTE.
The government’s response today was based on concerns about cyberbullying of children in primary schools, as well as potential exposure to violent and sexual content.
Education Minister Norma Foley said most schools have already banned smartphones, but the biggest issue is what happens after school.
This new policy aims to inform and educate parents about the risks of smartphones to young children.
Speaking to RTÉ News at One, Ms Foley said it confirmed they could have the phone for security reasons.
“This not a war on phones. This is just an acknowledgement that of course students can have phones, they just don’t need, at primary school age, to have smartphones,” reports RTE.
“We are being proactive in the space, engaging Webwise and providing funding to them so they will have a national coordinator and regional digital champions throughout the country in education centres, where information meetings and supports for school staff, parents and interested adults so there will be a collective voluntary buy-in to ensure children at primary school age are not utilising smartphones, they don’t need a smartphone,” she added, reports RTE.
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