Response to open letter calling for review of educational technology
Commenting on the call by 150 clinicians for a review of learning technology in schools in England, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity said:
“Despite the mounting evidence about the devastating impact of unregulated access to digital technology on children’s safety, development and health, young people believe adults may still underestimate the breadth and depth of the damage it is doing to their lives.
“Scotland could lead the way in reclaiming childhood from screens by building on our strong track record of taking public health approaches to address harm. While regulation may be reserved, the Scottish Government must join up strategy, legislation, funding and delivery across all departments to keep children safe and support them to grow, learn and thrive. There’s simply no point in banning phones in schools while continuing to over-rely on screens to educate our children or focusing on strategies to deal with the exponential increase in online child abuse while investing in unchecked AI.”
The call to the Westminster Government for a review of learning technology in schools comes, as Children First launched a new animation created by young people warning that things won’t change unless adults take a more comprehensive approach to addressing online harm, including considering the use of learning technology in schools .
Protect us- young people's views about online harm
Created by young people in Scotland, this short animation explains why they think adults underestimate what they experience online and the actions they would like adults to take to protect them. The animation was funded by Inspiring Scotland through their Tacking Online Harm fund.
