Kildare schools celebrate 'Phone Free' initative
Ava Kelly, Pippa Queally, Ella May Byrne, Zoe Ryan and Chloe Behan pictured at the Go Phone Free day at Mercy Convent Primary School, Naas Photos: Aishling Conway
PRIMARY schools in Naas and its surrounding areas recently celebrated their annual ‘Go Phone Free’ week from 5 – 9 October, which included a variety of educational and entertaining events to get children and their parents talking about the initiative and hopefully implementing it in their homes.
‘Go Phone Free’ invites parents to delay providing their children with a smartphone until they complete primary school, to keep social media off personal devices, and to respect the age rating of video games.
The initiative is not against the use of technology or the internet, but it focuses more on delaying rather than denying. It is about having important conversations around phones and the online environment with our children, aiming to prepare them for the social media world they will inevitably join.
The 13 participating schools include Gaelscoil Nás na Ríogh, Holy Child Catholic National School, Killashee Multi-Denominational National School, Mercy Convent Primary School, Naas Community National School, Rathmore National School, Scoil Bhride Naas, Scoil Bhride Clane, St Corban’s National School, St David’s National School, Two Mile House National School, St. Laurence’s Sallins and Bunscoil Bhride in Rathangan.
The programmes, hosted by the Parents’ Associations of the various schools, included informative talks and shows for children, such as Reuben the entertainer and his shows ‘Distracted’ and ‘Fooled’ and adolescent psychologist Paula O’Connor with her engaging workshop “don’t be mean behind your screen”.
Ms O’Connor also held a parent information evening at which she shared helpful tips on how to parent a digital generation.
Schools also put on Fuinseog Woodland Games, where children spent the day playing traditional games made from native Irish woods, a dress-up day in the colours of the initiative, and a creative art competition with the theme “Toys versus Tech”, the winners of which are currently displayed in the Naas Library.
The shared hope is that this initiative continues to gain traction throughout families in Naas and surrounds, and indeed throughout Ireland, and that together communities can foster a culture that prioritizes childhood well-being and balances technology use in a mindful way.
To find out more information about this initiative and how to implement it, contact Mercy Convent Naas Parents’ Association, mercyconventnaaspa@gmail.com.
