E-safety should become part of ICT lessons

I wholeheartedly agree with a report in the TES today. A government-commissioned review found that parents' lack of awareness about the interent was leaving pupils vulnerable.

Dr Tanya Byron, a TV child behaviour expert, was asked by Gordon Brown to look at the risks internet and video games posed to children. She found that parents did not have the confidence to deal with them. Many parents seemed to believe that leaving their children surfing the internet was similar to them watching television. She said in fact it was more like opening the front door and letting a child go outside to play unsupervised.

Her report asks ministers to look at how e-safety could be applied to the PSHE or ICT curriculum.

A phrase I've often heard used by adults is, "You can find anything on the Internet." It's so true - you can. But unfortunately, a lot of what you find is not what you were looking for. Regarding children's safety, this is a very worrying situation - they could be exposed to something completely inappropriate. The fact that now, in 2008, it's just occurred to the government that this is a problem, once again highlights their failings in moving along the quality of the ICT curriculum. Sort this out quickly!