South Point High School urges parents to shield kids from online dangers

South Point High School has asked parents to be more vigilant of their child’s social media activities and shield them from the dangers that lurk online.

The school sent a two-page note to parents that asks them to have open communication with children and educate them about “responsible behaviour” while using the internet.

The circular has been sent to parents of the student of Classes VI to XII.

The school has warned parents how “unacceptable behaviour” can snowball into something more serious when law enforcement and other agencies get involved and the matter goes beyond the purview of the institution.

The phone is now almost an integral part of a child’s life, especially after Covid. But South Point wants parents to assess how much “productive use” students are making of the gadget that “helped them enormously during Covid-19”.

Most schools in Calcutta still do not allow students to carry phones to the campus. For senior classes, even if it is allowed for convenience, it has to be handed to the authorities outside classrooms.

But most kids have easy access to the device at home.

The South Point circular, signed by principal Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharjee, says: “To shield kids from dangers online, parents should foster open communication with them, educating them about potential risks and responsible behaviour while using the internet.

“Setting clear guidelines for social media usage, implementing parental controls and regularly monitoring their online activity can help maintain a safe environment for our children.”

Parents should encourage children to report “uncomfortable online encounters” and they should themselves be informed about “online trends” to effectively guide their children while prioritising their safety, the school has said.

“We would not have been able to tackle the pandemic without the phone, but now its use has to be restricted and monitored,” the principal told Metro.

“The circular was needed because when adults give a device to a child, on most occasions they do not know what the kid is up to. The need to be glued to social media and not knowing where to draw a line and being influenced by social influencers is a worrisome trend among kids,” she said.

The school blames unrestricted online life for a tendency among children to be violent.

“Let us apprise you, that at times, the situation may become much more complex when outside agencies (including law-enforcement) get involved. Parents are advised to make themselves and their wards aware of the possible consequences or fallouts of such a possibility,” the circular says.

The south Calcutta school, known for producing high scorers over the years, has made it clear that education cannot be a race “for accruing marks, or a competition for doing better than the others”.

“It (education) is about learing to be generous, accepting diversity, practising honesty, empathy and patience, developing the ability to differentiate between right and wrong, being aware of gender sensitivity....”