Pupils at a Derry school have been praised for their efforts in creating an information booklet for parents and carers.
Primary six pupils at St Brigid’s Primary School at Carnhill played a key role in delivering the booklet which provides guidance for their guardians.
Nowadays, with more primary school children using computers, ipads and smart-phones, the internet has become more accessible than ever.
A story in last week’s Derry News highlighted the rise in ‘cyberbullying’ type offences in Derry and the need to raise awareness about issues associated with internet safety.
In general, schoolchildren have become more tech-savvy than their parents, which is why the St. Brigid’s pupils have created the Children, ICT and E-Safety booklet to act as a guide for parents and carers.
The booklet outlines the benefits, as well as the risks associated with using the internet.
Most importantly it encourages parents and carers to sit down and talk to their children.
It teaches them about ‘netiquette’, how to behave responsibly online, not to give out personal details, security settings that can be installed by their internet provider, not to buy anything off the internet without permission and only to use a webcam with people they know and trust.
Teacher at St. Brigid’s, Miss McCafferty, was integral to the creation of the leaflet.
She said: “I worked along with the school council to plan and research all aspects of e-safety as we wanted to produce an information booklet to educate parents on the dangers of Internet use for kids.
“They did all the typing themselves. Then Iprint designed and printed the finished brochures.
“The children loved making the brochure, are very aware of the perils of the internet and social media, and realise that adults must take responsibility for their children and monitor their internet use.”
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