I am all for addressing cyber-saftey and cyber-bullying in schools. I have written many posts that attest to how important those topics are to me. But a report that calls on the Government to make educators teach cyber-safety to 3 and 4-year-old children is crazy. They are simply too young. At that age, the responsibility of introducing the potential hazards of the web should be left squarely to parents.
Cyber education for children should start in preschool, a major investigation of online safety has found.
More than a year in the making, the High-Wire Act report makes dozens of recommendations to parliament on how to educate children and teenagers on remaining safe in the increasingly complex online environment.
The first recommendation calls on Early Childhood Minister Peter Garrett to consider providing “cyber-safety” lessons in pre-schools and kindergartens.
“It seems sensible that schools introduce cyber-safety when they introduce computers and online access,” the report, released on Monday, says.
“Unfortunately, it is just too late, because children have already developed a set of habits and practices.”
When I read this new Government report, I reflected on an apt comment from reader Anthony Purcell, who wrote:
I am a little frustrated that teachers are being the ones that are to teach children how to be good digital citizens. Where are the parents? They should be helping out as well. Unfortunately, I know that many parents don’t know how to be a good digital citizen. There are sites out there that teachers can build to help students out with this. Should they be on Twitter and Facebook in primary school? No, but we can set up ways to help them begin their good digital citizenship roles.
I find it ironic, that of all the important skills that teachers could be imparting to pre-schoolers, the Government has focussed on an issue that not only doesn’t affect them but also is too complex for them to fully understand. Surely a program championed by the esteemed veterinarian and author, Vadim Chelom, on dog safety is a much better fit.
“… In fact there isn’t even an Education Department approved set of lesson plans to teach this subject. This is a catastrophic omission as for the under-7 age group dog attacks account of more injuries than road traffic accidents.”
Teaching cyber-safety to preschoolers poses an unfair challenge on teachers. It is a program best taught in primary school.
Topical Teaching 