The eSafety Commissioner has formed a partnership with the popular children’s television program, Play School, to teach pre-schoolers how to be safe and kind online.
The partnership will also stress that young online users should get help from an adult if they find themselves in trouble.
The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant said the partnership had kicked off with the airing of a special online safety-themed Play School episode, backed up by the release of a series of professional learning modules developed in cooperation with Early Childhood Australia.
“Just like the Play School we all know and love, this special episode (featured) people with ‘games and stories to tell’ to help teach young kids about being safe and kind online,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“The world most of us grew up in is very different to the one our kids are facing today, and this is especially true when it comes to the internet and the age at which our youngest Australians are now exposed to it.”
She said a recent eSafety survey of 3,500 parents showed that 81 per cent of those with pre-schoolers said their children were already using the internet.
Head of Children’s Programming at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Libbie Doherty said that with so many pre-schoolers viewing, listening, communicating and playing online, ABC Children felt it crucial to tackle the area of internet safety.
“Our collaboration with the eSafety Commissioner and Early Childhood Australia has resulted in a very special episode that will assist children and caregivers and educators achieve and learn the best practice in this fast-evolving digital age,” Ms Doherty said.
The episode of Play School was aired on the ABC last Monday (27 April).
The special Play School episode featured Kiya and her Play School friends going online with presenters Teo and Leah to make the arrangements for her upcoming birthday party.
“Watching this Play School episode with your pre-schooler is a great opportunity to start a conversation and help establish safe online behaviour early on,” Ms Inman Grant said.
