It has been a busy term of office so far for me as a Parish Deputy. In addition to my Parish responsibilities, I also hold several States wide duties. I am currently serving as the Chair of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel and as a member of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel. Both of these provide great opportunities for examining government policies in more depth through focused questioning and evidence gathering.
Of particular interest is the Online Harms Review – which is both interesting and timely. It offers a crucial opportunity to better understand the impact of the inappropriate use of technology on children and young people. For anyone who has viewed the recent Netflix drama – ‘Adolescence’, they will realise the complex challenges that parents and teachers face in safeguarding our children from modern risks. As a parent with adult children, it has been a sobering experience to hear from younger parents of teenagers and the struggles they have with navigating the challenges of online safety, which simply did not exist when my children were young. We are asking searching questions of the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning about his views on the current policies for mobile phone use in school and whether these need to change in response to concern from parents.
If you would like to learn more about this review or make a submission, please go to States Assembly | What protection do children in Jersey have from online harms or get in touch with me in the usual way.
I hold three Parish drop-in sessions each month, and I am also happy to meet Parishioners outside of those times to discuss any concerns at a Parish and at an Island level.
