Talking about Suicide and Self-harm

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 12 February 2020.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 1:58, 12 February 2020

Presiding Officer, I absolutely agree with Angela Burns about the importance of educating our children on the potential harms and the safe use of the internet and social media channels. Just yesterday was Safer Internet Day, as I'm sure the Member was aware, and I was delighted to join finalists in the Welsh Government's Safer Internet Day competition, where both primary and secondary schools had been producing films to highlight the dangers of inappropriate internet and social media use amongst their peers. I'm sure the Presiding Officer would be delighted that it was Ysgol Bro Pedr who won the primary school competition, and I was delighted to meet them and to watch their film yesterday. So, schools are very alive and alert. They're taking very proactive steps to work with their children and students in this regard. And of course, our digital competence framework, which is the first part of our curriculum for reform, focuses very heavily on ensuring that children know how to use social media and digital skills and the internet in a safe way, and what to do if they are unhappy or unsettled by anything that they see, or see other people doing, using those platforms. But you're absolutely right: there is a close correlation between mental ill-health and distress and some of the stuff that our children and young people are accessing online.