Wellbeing at School in the Digital Age

Wellbeing at School was the central theme of the eTwinning Annual Conference, held in Brussels on 26-28 September 2024. This conference marked a key moment for the Supportive Partners of the European School Education Platform to come together and discuss how we can better support school education within the European Union.

A major topic was how schools can adapt to the digital realities of today’s world. One significant message came from James O’Higgins Norman, UNESCO Chair on Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace. He emphasized that banning mobile phones in schools has no proven positive effects and could even harm students’ sense of respect and autonomy. Importantly, the lack of digital citizenship education in schools was also a critical issue highlighted during the event.

The Need for Digital Citizenship in Wellbeing at School

A crucial problem raised during the conference is the absence of real digital citizenship education in schools. Students often feel alienated by mobile phone bans, especially when teachers are not subjected to the same rules. While students are expected to refrain from using their phones, teachers freely use theirs, even for non-school-related activities. This inconsistency is perceived as unfair and uneducational. The solution, as discussed, lies in fostering collaboration among parents, teachers, and students to create balanced regulations and teach responsible smartphone usage. It is evident that wellbeing at school today must include addressing how students engage with digital tools and how schools can better prepare them for the digital realities they face daily.

Resilience and Rights in the Digital World

On the second day, the focus shifted to wellbeing online, and it was encouraging to see discussions moving towards building resilience rather than just limiting access to digital spaces. It was clear that protecting children from the online world is no longer a sufficient approach; instead, the emphasis must be on educating them to thrive within it. Interestingly, Parents International has been a vocal advocate against COPPA, the U.S. law that bans children under 13 from registering on social media.

With data showing that 97% of 10-12-year-olds spend significant time online, many parents are complicit in helping their children bypass these restrictions. The issue is not that children register early, but that they gain access to adult features when they turn 18—often at their most vulnerable age.

Collaborative Solutions for Wellbeing at School

The conference was not just about digital issues; it also offered valuable insights into parental engagement and how to foster collaboration between parents and teachers. The Supportive Partners of the European School Education Platform met for the first time in person, sharing ideas on how to enrich the platform’s content and how to foster bilateral and multilateral collaborations. During a workshop titled “Better Together,” a group of 43 teachers from across Europe discussed the challenges of engaging with parents.

Using models like Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model and the Ladder of Parental Engagement, participants devised solutions to improve communication and collaboration between parents and teachers, reinforcing that real engagement goes beyond primary school. Teachers shared that engaging parents at all school levels remains a challenge.

At the end of the workshop, International Parents Alliance introduced a range of tools to support teachers in fostering better relationships with parents. These tools included Parents Engage, Parent’R’Us, Future Memory, SAILS, DRONE, PARTICIPATE, Co-Map, and BioBeo projects, providing resources for both teachers and parents to work together in promoting wellbeing at school.