The Secretariat for Catholic Education and the Church Schools’ Association welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Government’s Green Paper and, in light of mounting evidence of social media’s impact on children’s wellbeing and development, underscore the urgent need for a robust, child-centred national framework.
The Secretariat and Association commend the Green Paper’s strong focus on safeguarding, the protection of minors from abuse and harmful content, and its recognition of the shared responsibility of families, schools and communities. They also welcome the emphasis on digital literacy and alignment with national and international children’s rights frameworks.
They also recognise the importance of researched stronger regulatory frameworks, which may consider delaying access to specific social media platforms in line with emerging international regulatory models such as the model introduced in Australia and those being considered in Spain, France and Denmark.
At the same time, they stress that regulation alone is insufficient. Schools must be supported not only to enforce safeguards but also to educate and form young people to engage critically, ethically and responsibly in digital spaces. Greater attention is needed for teacher training in digital citizenship, school-based mental health support, and structured formation programmes for families.
Ultimately, safeguarding must go hand in hand with formation. Education should foster responsible freedom, emotional intelligence, moral discernment and an appreciation of the positive potential of digital media, while addressing challenges related to mental health, artificial intelligence, truth and authenticity.
The Secretariat for Catholic Education and the Church Schools’ Association remain committed to working in a collaborative spirit with the authorities to ensure that national policy protects children while empowering them to grow into responsible and ethical digital citizens.
