AQW 15197/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the support he is providing to schools to better understand online safety; and (ii) how he is working with (a) the PSNI; and (b) industry professionals to provide specialist advice to schools in this area of work.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 17 September 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 17 September 2024
- Answer due by
- 2 October 2024
- Answered
- 23 September 20246 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
My Department provides a range of supports to help schools better understand online safety, including learning resources for pupils and guidance on good practice for schools.
The Northern Ireland Curriculum outlines that pupils should be provided with opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of e-safety and acceptable online behaviour and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations Assessment (CCEA) has developed a number of Digital Well Being Resources which are available on the website. These cover all Key Stages and are monitored and updated as necessary.
Department of Education (DE) Circular 2016/27 Online Safety provides a set of guiding principles for keeping pupils and the wider school community safe online and for prioritising online safety within the school’s preventative education curriculum and overall Safeguarding Policy. Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools - A Guide for Schools also includes guidance on online safety and managing risks associated with the online world. This guidance is reviewed as necessary with input from a range of stakeholders, including the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) which provides specialist advice in relation to online safety. The guidance also includes references to the SBNI’s Online Safety Hub and resources developed by other industry professionals, such as the Southwest Grid for Learning’s online safety audit tool and PSNI’s resources on online safety.
Additionally, my Department has engaged with iNEQE Safeguarding Group to provide the Safer Schools Northern Ireland App to schools, parents/carers and pupils. The App provides advice, guidance and information on a range of safeguarding issues, with particular attention paid to risks in the online world, emerging social media platforms and online harms.