In an increasingly interconnected world, smart devices and social media platforms play a significant role in the lives of both adults and many children. These tools can bring many positive opportunities. However, the potential harm that can be caused by young people having access to these has been well documented in recent years. Many schools have been dealing with issues of cyberbullying, exclusion, sexting and circulation of harmful images, and there can be a huge fallout from these incidents. The PA and staff of St. Paul’s, as a school community, feel we have a shared responsibility to manage its impact on the health, safety, and development of our children.

Last year was the first year that St. Paul’s PA and staff introduced a Voluntary Smart Device and Social Media Agreement, having found there was considerable appetite for this in our school community. We had 92 families sign up for the 2024/2025 academic year. We are asking you as parents and guardians of your children to consider signing up to a Voluntary Agreement (as outlined below) at the beginning of each year. We ask you to support this by opting in, even if you had signed up to it already last year, or you think your child is too young for you to consider this yet. We would like to get as much commitment from our school community as possible.

 The Voluntary Agreement

What we are asking you as parents and guardians of your child is to consider signing up to the Voluntary Code at the beginning of each year whereby you commit to not purchasing a smart device for your child until they begin secondary school. This would include smart phones and also access to apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok and Discord.

Here are some of the Key points of the agreement:

1. The Voluntary Agreement does not include mobile phones with no internet access.
2. Any data collected is completely anonymous. 
3. We will share the findings from each year group with families (for example, 85% of 3rd Class parents have opted in to the agreement). This information might be useful when discussing it with your child. 
4. It recognises that every family has different priorities and opinions in relation to internet access and smartphone use.
5. As this is an opt-in code, we understand that parents may still choose, or have already chosen, to buy their child a smartphone. In these cases, we would encourage parents to educate themselves and their children in relation to online safety and foster healthy habits around time spent on their phone. 
6. If a parent/guardian alters their view subsequently and wants to purchase a personal smart device for their child, they can do so at any stage.
7. It is not a solution in itself but is potentially one tool, which may be helpful to those who wish to avail of it.

We believe that this voluntary agreement offers parents and guardians, who are concerned about their child having access to smart devices, a useful way of helping to address the aforementioned issues. We feel it will reduce peer pressure on children and help to keep them safer and happier at this important time in their lives. If you wish to opt in to this agreement then please click the link below and follow the instructions provided. You can opt in at any time. Please do it for each child you have in the school.  

Here is the link to sign up: St. Paul’s Voluntary Smart Device and Social Media Agreement

Thank you for taking the time to read and support this. 

St. Paul’s N.S. Parents’ Association and Staff