eSafety

Central to our curriculum is its aim to equip our young people to make informed and responsible choices and decisions throughout their lives, and we see eSafety as an important aspect of this. It’s not just about the technology, but also core concepts of personal safety, of showing respect for others and of critical discrimination.

There are embedded opportunities for eSafety in the curriculum, particularly within the Using ICT framework, through which pupils are required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of eSafety, including acceptable online behaviour, for example by evaluating the safety, reliability and acceptability of sources, and by communicating safely and publishing their ideas responsibly.

Through education, CCEA believes that our young people can become responsible, safe, digitally aware citizens who can make a positive contribution to society and the economy. We will continue to work with the Department of Education, the Safeguarding Board Northern Ireland and other agencies to promote this through the upcoming Strategy and to ensure that schools have access to appropriate information and resources.

Safer Internet Day 2018 was celebrated globally on Tuesday 6th February 2018 with the slogan ‘Create, Connect and Share Respect. A better internet starts with you’.

Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration seen hundreds of organisations, including CCEA, getting involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

The UK Safer Internet Centre – a partnership of three leading charities; Childnet, the South West Grid for Learning and the Internet Watch Foundation – provide resources for children, schools and families, and tools for getting involved at www.saferinternet.org.uk.

Globally, Safer Internet Day is celebrated in over a hundred countries, coordinated by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, and national Safer Internet Centres across Europe.

The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together in helping to create a better internet. Get involved to play your part!

#SID2018

In addition to coordinating Safer Internet Day, the UK Safer Internet Centre delivers a wide range of activity to promote the safe and responsible use of technology:

• founded and operates an e-safety helpline for professionals working with children in the UK
• operates the UK’s hotline for reporting online criminal content
• develops new educational resources for children, parents and carers and teachers to meet emerging trends in the fast-changing online environment
• delivers education sessions for children, parents, carers, teachers and the wider children’s workforce
• shapes policy at school, industry and government level, both in the UK and internationally, and delivers activities to give young people a voice on these issues.