From the Deputy Head of Senior School – Pastoral – Safe Online Behaviour

From the Deputy Head of Senior School – Pastoral – Safe Online Behaviour

As always, our primary goal at MLC School is to provide quality education for our students and prepare them for a future and world beyond school. We do this always keeping student safety and wellbeing at the forefront. 

Advancements in technology have resulted in phones becoming a common place means of communication, socialisation and interaction. With this is mind, digital literacy is important, and it is key for our students to learn safe use of technology, to live in the era in which they are growing up and develop skills for the future. This is true also in education, when used in the appropriate conditions, technology, in particular phones can be a valuable educational tool to support learning. 

In an educational setting, phone use also creates challenges and questions. It has been well documented the impact phones and technology can have on young people in relation to mental health and wellbeing. According to Dr Danielle Einstein:

  • Phones can be too easily used at the expense of face-to-face communication and inhibit social skills, as student may be likely to avoiding challenging or uncomfortable conversations and settings.
  • Smart phone apps and messages prompt dopamine release, which can lead to phone addiction.
  • The presence of a phone impacts attention and engagement, even when not being used. It’s been shown we have reduced working memory capacity and fluid intelligence when our phone is upside down and silent on our desk compared with when it is in another room.
  • Smartphone use has led to a decline in people’s ability to cope with uncertainty. The more uncomfortable young people are with uncertainty, the higher the number of co-occurring psychological problems they report experiencing.  

At MLC School we adopt a pro technology approach and engage with students to use technology in a safe and respectful manner. This is seen through our ongoing education around safe technology use in Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) and through our link with Ysafe, where students are engaged in workshops focusing on positive power of phone use, digital footprint, perspectives and interpretation of online behaviour and reputations.

Our School rules and policy regarding phone use can be found in the Parent Information Handbook and the student diary on page 154. To support their engagement, students in Year 7 to Year 9 should not have their phones at all during the school day. They must remain locked in lockers. 

As a privilege, students in Year 10 to Year 12 can have their phones at designated times, however there are strict rules around their use and it is crucial that students and parents understand that no filming, posting on social media or taking photos is permitted at any time. Students must not engage in any online behaviour that causes harm to others, we treat any conduct of this nature seriously.

What can parents do?

  • Please refrain from contacting your daughters during the school day. Should your daughter contact you, do not respond or direct them to a staff member. This will support your daughter in developing their independence and problem-solving skills. Should you wish to send an urgent message, please contact Main Reception by calling 02 9747 1266 and your message will be communicated. 
  • Monitor your daughter’s phone use and engage in ongoing conversations around appropriate phone use and boundaries. Do not allow your daughter to cyber bully other students or engage in online behaviour that may cause harm to others.
  • Report inappropriate phone use, online behaviour or any concerns to the e safety commissioner or the police.
  • Remove technology from your daughter’s bedrooms at night time. This will support healthy sleep patterns.

There is a plethora of information and support available, and we appreciate your support in ensuring students are able to fully engage with school during the day. 

The eSafety Commissioner website has many resources for families as well:

– Andrew Taylor
Deputy Head of Senior School – Pastoral