primary school

ANP

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 22:18

Arjen van der Horst

correspondent United Kingdom

Arjen van der Horst

correspondent United Kingdom

When is your child old enough for a mobile phone? It is a discussion that regularly leads to clashes between children and their parents in Dutch living rooms. Children often cannot move fast enough; parents worry about the risks. In Ireland they are now trying to find a solution to this tough discussion.

In Greystones, just below Dublin on the east coast of Ireland, eight primary schools, sports clubs and parents have joined forces. Together they have agreed that primary school children are not allowed to have a mobile phone, not even at home or in their free time. The children have to wait until high school.

The reason for the experiment, which has received worldwide attention, is concerns about the mental health of children. Mobile phones allow children to see images and information that are inappropriate for their age, keep them from exercising and playing outside, and online bullying is a growing problem.

And above all: the mobile phone is considered a status symbol. Children from poorer families who cannot afford a mobile phone often feel left out. The idea is that by treating everyone equally you take away that pressure.

Arjen van der Horst | NOS School Director Rachel Harper is the driving force behind the project

The initiative is part of the much broader project It Takes A Village, for children’s mental health. The driving force is Rachel Harper, director of St Patrick’s National School in Greystones.

“When I was 12 years old, I mostly played outside and climbed trees,” she says. “Now kids can access social media through their phones. They see what’s happening in the world, there’s more pressure on young kids. We feel like kids are growing up too fast. It’s like the teenage years are starting a little earlier now. “

The eight participating primary schools choose a theme every month with which they promote positive behavior. Children are encouraged to talk about their fears and emotions. There are also ongoing conversations with parents about the mental well-being of their children. The mobile phone initiative is the most striking part of the project.

“We tell the children: go play outside. Make appointments with other children. Do fun things. Be crazy,” says Harper. “You try to get them away from social media and their cell phones. Enjoy your time with family and friends.”

Mixed feelings among students

The children themselves have mixed feelings about the experiment. 12-year-old Tom McGarry was promised a mobile phone at the beginning of this year, but with the start of the project his parents reneged on that promise.

He is therefore disappointed. “I would like to have a phone. I’m at an age now where a lot of my friends are getting phones.” Tom’s classmate Jane Capatina (12) would also have liked to have a mobile phone. “Then I can text with my friends and play online games.”

Arjen van der Horst | NOSChristina Capatina and her daughters Rachel (l) and Jane (r)

But they are both also aware of the risks. Jane: “You quickly become addicted. Before you know it, you’re staring at your screen all the time.” Online bullying is a danger, Tom knows. “And kids can see inappropriate things on YouTube or TikTok.”

Tom sometimes sees teenagers on the street with their phones. “Then they sit next to their friends and text each other, instead of talking to each other.”

‘All in the same boat’

In any case, the parents are very happy with the initiative. “We think it’s a great idea,” says Jane’s mother, Christina Capatina. “It has helped all the parents who were under pressure from their children with questions like: ‘When can I get a cell phone? I want one because all my friends have them.’ Now we’re all in the same boat. As parents you can now say to your children: ‘sorry, you have to wait until high school’.”

Arjen van der Horst | NOSCaroline McGarry and her son Tom (12, l)

Caroline McGarry, mother of 12-year-old Tom: “I know personally how addictive mobile phones can be. I force myself to stop taking my phone into the bedroom. I fear what my son will encounter on the internet if he gets his own phone. He’s almost a teenager. I don’t want him to find online porn normal. I’d rather he play outside as much as possible and have real interaction with kids his age.”

The Greystones experiment has now found wide resonance in Ireland. Other school districts are considering similar measures. The Irish government is also showing interest. Inspired by the project, the Minister for Education issued new guidelines for the use of mobile phones in Irish primary schools in November.

2023-12-04 21:18:11
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