Mayo primary schools adopting code of conduct on mobile phones

Primary schools in Mayo are adopting a voluntary code of conduct that children of 12 years of age and younger would not have a mobile phone.

The move has been highlighted by Dublin Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery Kearney.

She revealed that schools in Castlebar and Crossmolina were supporting the move initially undertaken by parents and teachers in Dublin.

In effect, it is a voluntary ban on mobile phone use by national school children.

Senator Seery Kearney said she made the decision that her child will not have a mobile phone until secondary school because she's concerned about the developmental stages that are lost by a child having their head stuck in a phone instead of playing and using their imagination to play with their toys.

"They need to have that robust forward and backwards on the playground of falling out with each other or making friends, and of playing and collaborating in games together.

"On top of that, there is all of the bullying and that possibility but before that is the developmental stage and the social skills that are lost by children being on their mobile phones too much.

"Parents who want to make those decisions are left on their own if the initiative is not school-wide, and nobody wants their child left behind in such a situation.

"Recently I escalated that call. I have written to the Department of Education and Coimisiún na Meán to ask if we can have a conversation about the national use of mobile phones by children of 12 years and under.

"I also asked if we could have a circular from the Department of Education that would support this throughout primary schools.

"Since then I have had overwhelming support and I have had a number of schools contact me.

"I am glad to report that schools Castlebar and Crossmolina are implementing this as well.

"Throughout the country schools are beginning to bring these codes of conduct on the use of mobile phones online.

"When we return in the new term I would like TDs to have statements on the use of mobile phones and smart devices by young people.

"We need them in exceptional circumstances. Some children will need them for medical reasons and children with diabetes might need that monitoring.

"We should have a conversation about the social change that is coming in that everybody is being pressured into. We should talk about how we push back against that," she added.