New website bids to protect children on-line

Up to 95% of children have access to the internet, Education Minister Mary Hanafin said today as she launched a new website to promote on-line safety for youngsters.

The Webwise initiative provides information and resources about surfing, chatting, sharing and gaming to teachers, parents and students to help ensure children’s on-line activity is positive and safe.

Ms Hanafin launched the website to mark European Safer Internet Day.

“It is no longer enough for parents to supervise their children using the internet on the family computer,” she said.

“New research tell us that 95% of children are now accessing the internet and growing numbers are doing so using other means such as mobile phones and game consoles.

“We need to keep abreast of changes so that we can protect our children and ensure their safety when they are using the internet.”

Minister Hanafin stressed the need for ongoing education and vigilance.

“We must maintain a three-pronged approach to internet safety based on having information on the latest technologies, educating our teachers and parents and using technologies such as content filtering,” she said.

“In the wider context of the national broadband access programme which is currently being rolled out to schools by the Department of Education and Science, we are installing a content filtering system to schools as part of the national broadband network.

“Schools have also been asked to confirm they have Acceptable Use Policies in place.”

Ms Hanafin said the webwise initiative, which was developed by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) – an agency of the Department of Education & Science, could prove to be a valuable resource.

“The internet is an integral part of our children’s lives, providing them with information, assisting them in their learning and allowing them to communicate regularly with the wider world,” she said.

“Our task is not just to facilitate this engagement but to actively empower our children to be autonomous and responsible users for life.

“Webwise.ie will be a very valuable resource for parents, teachers and students in helping us to achieve this.”

The Webwise initiative can be accessed at: www.webwise.ie.