Thirty years ago, we could scarcely imagine how vital the internet would be for children in 2020. Now, it’s difficult to picture a world where they don’t have constant access to one device or another.
The relationship between young people and the internet has become all the more apparent since the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions began to appear in spring. This means that, for parents, the issue of online safeguarding has never been more relevant.
We have always been proud to offer resources for parents and carers. But to ensure that we can reach our goal of keeping all children safe online, we have decided to make our latest parents’ online safety course available to all, free of charge.
But that’s not the only thing that makes this course special. We’ve teamed up TV presenter and children’s safety advocate Myleene Klass, who will be taking you through the course and offering her own perspective as a fellow parent.
Why should parents take this online safety course?
When it comes to safeguarding children online, we have always seen parents, carers and family members as the first line of defence.
However, technology moves fast and can be tricky to keep up with, even for the most switched-on adults. The more we spoke to schools and listened to their feedback, the more it became clear that parents needed our help now more than ever.
There was a demand for something that would give parents the information they need in a clear, easy-to-follow and engaging manner. That’s exactly what we’ve created– a brief yet comprehensive course that tells you everything you need to know about keeping kids safe online.
We’re encouraging as many parents as possible to take this course and use it as a foundation for their parenting strategies around device use, screen time and other online safety issues.
Why Myleene?
Myleene Klass is a woman of any talents: you may know her as a musician, TV Presenter and social media blogger. She cares deeply for children’s wellbeing, serving as an ambassador for both Save the Children and Youth Music, a national charity dedicated to investing in music-making projects to create opportunities for disadvantaged children.
Behind the scenes, she is a mother to three amazing children, aged one, nine and thirteen. Like many parents, she understands how difficult it can be to stay savvy to the dangers children face online – particularly as the risks vary greatly across age groups.
Unlike most parents, however, Myleene has the unique perspective that only someone in the spotlight can bring. She has been a passionate advocate for online safety since 2003, when she first spoke up about the dangers of online chatrooms after discovering she was being impersonated online.
For this reason, we knew that she would be the perfect person to bring a unique parent’s touch to our course, which was created by three of online safety experts.
Which subjects will be covered?
This program will consist of four mini-courses across the following age groups:
- Ages 4 – 7
- Ages 7 – 11
- Ages 11 – 14
- Ages 14 – 18
Each of these bite-size videos will focus on how children in a particular age group will use, engage with, and potentially be put at risk by their online activity. They will be followed by a quick-fire quiz to help you consolidate your knowledge, and you can return to and re-take the course and quizzes as many times as you like.
How can parents access it?
This extra-special parents course will be available for free on our Learning Hub and on the National Online Safety app.
By making an account and downloading our app, parents and carers will also gain unlimited access to over 300 online safety guides, completely free of charge.
Want to be the first to access Online Safety for Parents with Myleene Klass? Secure your place below.
