eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant has announced that almost a third of all Australian schools are using quality online safety education providers endorsed by the Commission.
Ms Inman Grant said the Trusted eSafety Provider Program helped schools find providers of evidence-based and curriculum-aligned online safety education programs.
She said pandemic lockdowns had led Australian children to spend more time online than ever before and reports of cyber-bullying had surged.
“Research released earlier this year found that 44 per cent of teens had a negative online experience in the six months to September 2020,” she said.
“Additionally, three in 10 children had been contacted by a stranger online.
“It is vital that schools teach their students how to stay safe online with strategies such as being an ‘upstander’ when they see bullying online and knowing how to seek help when something doesn’t feel right.”
The Commissioner said providers endorsed by the Program could work with schools to educate students about these topics.
Ms Inman Grant said it was pleasing to see Australian schools take a huge interest in the educational programs which had the eSafety tick of approval.
“In the last financial year 2,772 schools, or about 29 per cent of all Australian schools, had at least one session from a member of the Trusted eSafety Provider Program,” she said.
“These providers reported a total of 772,305 participants had taken part in their school-based programs in the 2020-21 financial year alone.”
The Commissioner said the Program was designed to give schools the confidence that the external online safety provider they engaged had met a range of mandatory requirements.
“This makes it easier for schools to find and select an online safety education provider they can trust to deliver a good quality program,” Ms Inman Grant said.
