Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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292. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions her Department has in place to educate students on safe internet use, particularly with regards to social media platforms and the prevalence of online bullying through these platforms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60458/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There are extensive training and curricular supports available to schools, including through the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), Webwise.ie and the Department funded national anti-bullying website www.tacklebullying.ie to assist schools in the development of policies and practices on the prevention of bullying and harassment, including cyberbullying, and on the safe and responsible use of the internet.

The PDST has a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team. This team supports teachers and schools, through the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum to develop and promote the personal development, health and wellbeing of the student; to create a positive school environment and culture; and to prevent and tackle bullying including online bullying and harassment.      

There is a wide range of training material available through the Webwise Internet Safety Programme to support teachers, students and parents on online safety.   Webwise is part of the PDST. It is funded by the Department of Education and the EU Internet Safety Initiative. Webwise (Webwise.ie) 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 (mostly through delivery of the SPHE curriculum).

The webwise.ie resource includes a dedicated School/Teachers Hub with extensive SPHE curricular supports, a Parents Hub and Youth Hub which give practical information and advice on the safe, ethical and responsible use of the internet and addresses key issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, image sharing, respectful communication, social media, popular apps and more.

Webwise and the PDST Technology in Education team recently developed a new online cyberbullying course. The course aims to provide both primary and post-primary teachers with the knowledge, resources and confidence needed to teach about cyberbullying and deal with cyberbullying incidents as they arise. Details of the course is available at Online Courses - PDST Technology in Education

In addition, all schools are expected to have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in place that sets rights, privileges, responsibilities and sanctions associated with the use of the internet for school purposes including the use of smart phones and personal devices. The Policy is drawn up by school leaders, teachers and management and generally in consultation with parents. Supports for schools on the drawing up of this policy are available on webwise.ie.

My Department’s Digital Strategy for Schools promotes the development of digital literacy in our young people and the importance of respectful online communications. A new Strategy, the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 [gov.ie - Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 (www.gov.ie)], was published in April of this year. The Strategy will advance the embedding of digital technologies across teaching, learning and assessment, building on the work under previous strategies. It aims to further support the school system so that all students across our schools have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to navigate an ever-evolving digital world successfully.

Delivery of the Strategy will involve ongoing collaboration and engagement with all key stakeholders. It allows for the establishment of both a consultative and an industry group which will further help support the implementation of the objectives of the Strategy and ensure its currency over its lifetime to 2027.

Online safety and the safe and ethical use of digital technologies is a key component of the new Strategy. The Strategy will continue to work towards ensuring learners have the opportunities to develop their digital skills so that they can navigate the digital world in a confident and competent manner and that their voices are heard and taken into account in further developments in this area. This will be further examined in the Implementation Plan. Ultimately a fundamental focus of the Strategy is learners and their wellbeing and ensuring that all of the policies, supports and resources are aimed at providing opportunities for learners to develop their digital skills so that they can navigate the digital world in a confident and competent manner.

Throughout the implementation of the Strategy, Webwise will continue to develop and disseminate relevant resources and run campaigns addressing key topical issues as they arise. This will take into account the recommendations and advice of Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying, [gov.ie - Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying (www.gov.ie)] which was published last Thursday, 1 December and from the National Advisory Council for Online Safety.