This year, on Safer Internet Day, we are delighted to inform you that the Parents Association and the Boards of Management of Mary Mother of Hope School are launching Mary Mother of Hope Schools Smartphone Free Voluntary Code
MMOH Smartphone Free Voluntary Code_ Feb 2025
In December 2024, as you are aware Mary Mother of Hope Parents Association, and the junior and senior schools conducted a parent survey of smartphone and social media use by children in primary school. Results of the Mary Mother of Hope Schools survey found:
• 93.1% of parents felt that primary school children should not own their own smartphone.
• 96.6% of parents felt that primary school children should not have access to social media.
As a result of this survey, the Parents Association with the support of the junior and senior school staff and Board of Managements are introducing a ‘Smart Phone Free Voluntary Code’, joining many school communities across Ireland, who have agreed not to provide their child with a smartphone until they finish Sixth Class.
Schools and organisations have come together to create a charter for all primary school pupils. The ‘Gen Free’ charter asks parents not to buy their child a smartphone or allow them on social media until they leave primary school. It calls for our primary aged children to be:
Gen Free – Free from smartphones, Free from social media and Free to be kids!
The ‘Smart Phone Free Voluntary Code is one in which we invite as many parents as possible in Mary Mother of Hope Schools to voluntarily agree to delay purchasing or providing a smartphone and access to social media until their child has finished their time in primary school.
We encourage all parents to join Mary Mother of Hope Schools Smartphone Free Voluntary Code .