Government Introducing Smartphone Guidelines For Schools

There is a light…

mere six months after eight Greystones primary schools came together to suggest that young kids having smartphones in school wasn’t really all that smart, the Irish government are making it official.

With the world’s media quick to highlight the call, today, the Minister For Education Norma Foley revealed she is drawing up guidelines for primary schools and parents’ associations who wish to introduce a voluntary No Smartphone Code.

Given that many schools already have the right to ban or restrict smartphones under their ‘acceptable use’ policies, an outright blanket ban wasn’t deemed necessary.

“This is wonderful news,” St Patrick’s principal Rachel Harper told the Guide this evening. “On behalf of It Takes A Village, it’s great to see the initiative been rolled out throughout the country. We’re delighted to see the government supporting the initiative and in particular to have the support from Minister Norma Foley, Minister Stephen Donnelly, Minister Simon Harris and Jennifer Whitmore“

As Sir John of Lennon almost said, life is what happens to you while you’re busy looking at your smartphone. Dr Winston O’Boogie would have also loved running down the rabbit holes of a million apps, of course, but the man would also know that every day should have some cold turkey time-outs too.

Part of the Greystones’ It Takes A Village campaign to address young children’s mental health and wellbeing, the use of smartphones for primary school kids is just one of a series of smart ideas, another being the introduction of a play therapist in each school for at least one day a week.

There are also a series of talks and workshops happening in the town, the next – with Jane McGarrigle from Webwise discussing the topic Digital Literacy And What To Look Out For – happening at St Patrick’s National School on November 23rd, details here.

You can find out more about It Takes A Village on their website here, and jump back through the last six months over here.