25 August 2006

 NEW TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT,

BUT OUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER!

At Hurlyvale Primary we have been dealing with an increasing number of problems related to cell phones. We know that cell phones have made our lives safer, communication easier and provided great entertainment to many people. Social networking sites like the new MXIT game have jumped massively in popularity over the past year. These are excellent ways for children to communicate and are preferable to them staring absent-mindedly at a television set.

TECHNOLOGY CAN MAKE HARMFUL

INFORMATION MORE ACCESSIBLE

Internet and cell phones were developed without enough thought about protecting children. As you know, we live in a potentially evil world, not all human interaction and not all information we come across is safe for us or our children. In fact some of that interaction and information can be harmful for us.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR CHILD?

James Reynolds, the former head of the Anti-Paedophile Unit at Scotland Yard said “Children nowadays are far more technologically aware and know no fear. But they are not smart when it comes to life’s rich tapestry.” According to Joan van Niekerk, the National Co-ordinator of Childline, MXIT, the rapid text provider that so many of our children are using, approached Childline for help with the serious problems they are facing. “The FBI estimates that there may be 50 000 paedophiles online at any time”. Your child could be chatting with one, using a friendly pseudonym, on the internet or cell phone in the safety of your own home. Do you know for sure they’re not?

PORN IS A GROWING INDUSTRY

Well known American serial rapist and killer, Ted Bundy, said just before he was executed that he came from a good Christian home with good parents promoting good morals, but the major contributing factor which led him to his crimes was pornography.

South Africa’s children are becoming ‘increasingly exposed to pornography and paedophiles via the internet and cell phones’. Colin Erasmus, Microsoft SA’s security manager, ‘said 80% of 15- to 17- year-olds have experienced multiple hardcore exposures.’ Erasmus also said that the internet porn industry ‘rakes in about R57 billion a year globally, with Child porn bringing in more than R3 billion.’

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

With all these gruesome facts you probably are having one of three reactions:

a)                 This is blowing the problem out of proportion.

b)                I need to keep my child away from the internet and cell phones

c)                 I’m already managing this problem, but my child may be exposed to this through other children at school.

If you were thinking a),    we have had to deal with these problems among our learners at Hurlyvale recently. All the other schools in our area have also experienced these problems. So read the facts and know that this issue is not going away and is close to home.

If you were thinking b),    banning the internet or cell phone from your child will only deprive your child of a valuable resource and may render them technologically illiterate in time to come. The answer lies in careful, consistent control.

If you were thinking c),    yes, you have a right to be concerned. If other parents are not controlling their children, the consequences will effect not only there children, but possibly yours too.

  WHAT DO PARENTS NEED TO DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM?

This problem is not a school problem; it is a home problem, so...

PARENTS CONTROL WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE LOOKING AT ON THE INTERNET AND ON THE CELL PHONES.

     a.      Do this by not allowing PC’s or TV sets in your child’s room.

b.     Too many parents do not want to invade their child’s privacy and thus upset their child. Invade your child’s privacy!

c.     Restrict access to the internet if you are not at home.

d.     If your child needs a cell phone, invest a little money and make it one that can only make and receive calls. The estimated value on the cell phones handed in for safe keeping stood at R40 000! Buy a phone for your child that cannot log on to MXIT or download pictures. If nothing else it will save you money.

 WHAT IS THE SCHOOL DOING ABOUT THE PROBLEM?

We understand that some parents will  disregard this letter. So to protect your child from being exposed to this at school, we are imposing the following preventative measures with immediate effect:

 a.      If your child must have access to a cell phone after school, parents must register their child’s cell phone with the school.

b.     Upon registering the cell phone, the parent must provide adequate reasons why their child needs a cell phone at school. Registrations that do not provide adequate reasons will be denied.

 c.     Those children with registered cell phones will be required to hand them in to the office (switched off) for safe keeping at the start of the school day and fetch them at the end of the day. When the cell phone is returned the child will be required to enter the phone’s pin to validate ownership.

 d.     Children found with cell phones on them, or in their bags will receive two demerits and the cell phone will be confiscated and only returned to the child’s parents on the last day of the school term. (This is in terms of our Code of Conduct, para. 8.2.8).

e.      The Principal, or a member of staff acting on behalf of the Principal may check any cell phone. If harmful material is found on the phone the child will face a Disciplinary Hearing with a view to suspension (Code of Conduct, para. 8.3.10).

We are striving at Hurlyvale Primary to make our school a safe haven for our children. Let’s continue to work together to ensure this happens by meeting this new threats head on. By doing so, we will ensure the continued integrity of the Hurlyvale Family.

 References taken from:

The Sunday Independent, Aug 13,Crackdown on child porn begins by E. Momberg and Sexual wolves stalk babes in the cyber-woods by S. Goodchild and J. Owen.

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