Five schools in the Carndonagh area have come together to introduce a ‘No Smartphone Voluntary Agreement.’
This community-wide effort is supported by school Principals, and encourages parents to delay providing their children with smartphones until they begin secondary school.
The schools involved are Scoil Naomh Pádraig, Carndonagh, St. Patrick’s G.N.S, St. Brigid’s National School, Glassalts, Donagh National School and Glentogher National School.
Jenny O’Donnell is a parent at St Brigid’s.
On today’s Nine til Noon Show, she said the initiative has been at the planning stage for a while……………….
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Release in full –
Carndonagh Primary Schools Launch Community-Wide ‘No Smartphone Voluntary
Agreement’ to Support Child Well-Being
In a groundbreaking initiative to promote the well-being of primary school children, several
schools in the Carndonagh area have come together to introduce a ‘No Smartphone Voluntary
Agreement.’ This community-wide effort, supported by school Principals and led initially by
HSCL Sinead McLaughlin and the Parents’ Associations, this encourages parents to delay
providing their children with smartphones until they begin secondary school.
The initiative involves the following primary schools in Carndonagh:
● Scoil Naomh Pádraig, Carndonagh
● St. Patrick’s G.N.S
● St. Brigid’s National School, Glassalts
● Donagh National School
● Glentogher National School, Glentogher
The Minister for Education Norma Foley provided every school in the country with an
information pack called “Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free”. “I thought it would be a great
initiative for our local community, I liaised with the parents and supported the development of the
initiative locally. As part of my role of HSCL I regularly engage with parents on such topics and
approached the parents association of Scoil Naomh Padraig to discuss the information pack”
commented Sinead McLaughlin, HSCL.
Addressing Growing Concerns
The decision to launch the agreement comes in response to increasing concerns about the
negative impact of smartphones and social media on children’s mental health, concentration,
social interactions and physical wellbeing. There is growing evidence that smartphones are
detrimental to healthy childhood development.
How It Works
Parents can opt into the agreement by signing a commitment form provided by their school. The
agreement also aligns with the schools’ existing policies, which prohibit the use of mobile
phones during school hours or on school premises. The schools are encouraging parents to
have regular, open conversations with their children about internet safety, monitor app usage
and emphasize healthy boundaries around technology use.
Results so far
This agreement was introduced in 5 of the primary schools in Carndonagh.
297 parents and guardians have opted in to this agreement on behalf of their children. This
represents 71% of all the children from these 5 schools. “This is our first year launching this
initiative and we are delighted with the positive feedback from parents and guardians. We
believe that this reflects the high level of concerns by parents and guardians of the effect of
early introduction of smartphones to childhood” commented Jennifer O’Donnell.
Join Us in Protecting Childhood
“We are delighted to have been involved in this initiative proposed by the parents committee in
conjunction with the other local schools in the parish. We are pleased with the overall positive
feedback we have received from the parents and with the amount of parents that have agreed
to sign up to it. We realise many of the older students already have mobile phones and as these
students move on in the coming years we envisage a higher percentage of parents will sign up
to the initiative” Shaun Ferry, Principal, St. Brigid’s National School
” Donagh National School is pleased to be part of this initiative to encourage a smart phone free
environment for our pupils in their formative years. The agreement helps to alleviate pressure
on parents to purchase a smartphone for their child whilst in primary school. It also benefits
pupils to know that they are part of an increasing group of children who do not have access to
this type of screen time. As educators, both teachers and parents are increasingly aware of the
negative effects that access to smartphones can cause for children “added Caroline Carey,
Principal, Donagh National School
A Collaborative Effort
The voluntary agreement encourages parents to work together to create a unified standard. By
delaying access to smartphones and restricting the use of apps such as Snapchat, WhatsApp,
TikTok and Instagram, the initiative seeks to safeguard children’s mental health and preserve
their childhood experiences. “We looked at how well it works in other communities across
Ireland, where schools in the same area worked together and decided to approach the other
schools in Carndonagh” added Odel Ward.“This is about building a community-wide norm,”
commented Marianne O’Connor, “When parents collectively agree to hold off on smartphones,
children feel less pressure and the entire community benefits”
Carndonagh community school also leading the way
In response to additional guidelines from Minister for Education, Norma Foley, Carndonagh
Community School have introduced a ban on mobile phones and we hope other primary
schools in the wider Inishowen area will also support this voluntary initiative.
For more information about the No Smartphone Voluntary Agreement, please contact your local
primary school.
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