Page 2046 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 4 June 2019
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already shown itself to be a really great equity measure, in that every child now has access to technology-based education that might have been a challenge for some families to be able to afford.
Building on the responses that Mr Rattenbury gave with regard to gaming and the recent media around issues around addiction and issues faced by young people, particularly, playing games outside school hours, the eSafety Commissioner and the Education Directorate work very closely together to provide supports and information to families.
Of course, this is not an emerging war; it is pretty much here now for the country. It is an issue that this country is going to need to deal with. This new addiction that has been recognised by the World Health Organisation around gaming and the kinds of supports that are provided will need to be expanded to take that into account. In our schools we have social supports and welfare officers as well as school psychologists who can support students and families as these issues arise. Importantly, the eSafety Commissioner is providing advice to parents about how they talk to children and young people about how they use devices, how they use gaming, the amount of time they are spending on gaming and how it affects their life.
There is a lot to do in this space. There is no doubt it is a challenging issue for our country. It is one of the issues that Education Council ministers have discussed as well, so there will be more happening in this space, I am sure.
MR PARTON: Minister, what training or information is provided—and I understand that you have in part answered that but I would like you to expand—to teachers to not only moderate the use of devices in school but also to identify mental health disorders that may be developing as a result of excessive screen time?
MS BERRY: This is one of those issues that we hope will be resolved through the implementation of positive behaviours for learning across our schools where teachers and school leaders will be working more closely with student cohorts in understanding the needs of those students not only within the school but also within their families.
In regard to the supports for schools around internet use, particularly around gaming issues, which, as I said, is an issue that has come to this country, we will have to put better supports in place as a country for how we deal with this. This will not be a situation or an issue that the ACT on its own will have to deal with. Certainly, I would be keen to work with the Minister for Mental Health and you, Mr Parton, if you are interested in progressing this issue, to see how we can support young people better in this space.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, what resources are schools providing to parents to ensure they are informed about recommendations relating to screen time and about known risks to both physical and mental health?
MS BERRY: When students begin their school year, students and families are invited to attend training sessions within school communities about internet use and
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