Royal Liberty School pupils learn how to surf safely

Volunteers from Microsoft and the police made a special visit to the Royal Liberty School on Thursday 3 November as part of the 'Getting to know IT All' campaign to promote internet safety for children and young people.

The campaign includes support and advice to young people, teachers and parents on the issues of computer security and what steps young people can take to ensure they stay safe on the internet.

During the visit, 360 Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils were reminded to be careful when talking to strangers on the internet and given important advice on where they can go for help should they need it. Through a powerful presentation, the pupils were provided with an overview of internet safety and introduced to new resources for further exploration of the issue.

Recent national research found that 46% of children aged between 11 and 19 have given out personal information about themselves to someone they have met online and one third of daily and weekly users have received unwanted sexual or nasty comments online or by text message.

Through the provision of important resources and a unique school visit programme, 'Getting to Know IT All' aims to increase understanding among parents and young people of potential internet risks such as undesirable content and inappropriate online communication as well as providing advice on developing safe and discriminating behaviour whilst online.

The campaign is being run by a partnership led by Microsoft, MSN, a leading children's internet safety agency, Childnet International, and the Virtual Global Taskforce, a new international alliance of law enforcement agencies specialising in child protection on the Internet.

The programme forms part of the UK's first National Internet Security Awareness campaign - Get Safe Online. This is a joint initiative between the government and the private sector, centred around a new website (www.getsafeonline.org) which provide comprehensive advice on online safety and security issues.

Assistant Headteacher Kevin Gale commented: "With an increasing number of young people recognising the vast benefits of the use of the internet, we also need to educate young people on how to protect themselves online. 'Getting to Know IT All' provides students and parents with a virtual classroom focused on the issues of computer and internet safety for young people. An ongoing source of information and support is available online at http://www.youngpeoplesafeonline.com/ and includes quizzes for young people, lesson plans and curriculum materials for teachers and modules specifically designed for parents."

Councillor Geoff Starns, Cabinet Member for Children Services, said: "Because of the accessibility of the internet it is open to abuse and the uninformed can be at risk. The Council supports this campaign that aims to educate children, parents and teachers about the vital need to ensure our children stay safe on the internet. This can be from downloading the latest security patches to protect your PC to not giving out personal details to anyone you meet online."