Sir, – It is difficult not to question the thinking behind the €9 million allocated for mobile-phone pouches in Budget 2025.
It comes at a time when there are so many pressing issues facing children, young people, and their parents, such as the lack of school places for some, inadequate online safety education and a dearth of prevention and responsive early intervention services, to name only a few.
At the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), we put children at the heart of everything we do.
We are firm advocates of the national strategy for participation by children and young people in decision-making.
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The strategy focuses on the everyday lives of children and young people and the places and spaces in which they are entitled to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives, including in community, education, health and well-being, and legal settings.
It is difficult to ascertain the voice of children in this decision. The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) voiced their own opinion on this matter, and it’s unfortunate that their view has been ignored.
Our education system needs to be fit for purpose and ought to be focussed on supporting children to navigate the digital world in a safe and competent manner.
This includes developing healthy relationships with the technology and digital services they use.
Mobile-phone pouches are a tool, but they certainly are not the solution. In fact, all this initiative does is put additional pressure on schools, when most educators would rather focus their efforts on teaching.
While students do need a mental break from their phones and do need to learn without distraction, surely it would be more useful if we prepare them for life with a mobile phone.
A ban is not a panacea; it may serve only to make phones more enticing.
A meaningful approach to managing the use of mobile phones among the young members of our society is one that embraces the whole of society, involving parents, platforms, and young people.
It is important that children and young people are given the right tools to navigate the ever-evolving digital environment. Education is key in this respect, not kicking the can down the road, at least until the school bells have rung.
The money for this measure comes from the education budget; perhaps investing this sum in online education programmes, such as the Department of Education’s own Webwise programme would be more beneficial. The ISPCC’s Digital Ready Hub supports parents and caregivers in this respect.
Our aim should be to equip children to be competent members of the digital world, so that they can embrace the roles of the future. – Yours, etc,
FIONA JENNINGS,
ISPCC,
Head of Policy and Public Affairs,
Galway.