MONTEGO BAY, St James — Over 50 students at Chetwood Memorial Primary School in Montego Bay have been trained as Internet safety monitors.

The group, which features children aged seven to 11, , are to play an important role in encouraging responsible behaviour on the Internet among their peers at school and in communities across western Jamaica.

The Flow Internet Safety Monitor Programme is a component of the company’s 2019 Safer Internet Day activities in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Students selected to become FLOW Internet Safety Monitors benefitted from a workshop featuring a multi media presentation on practical tips for children on the internet, the completion of an online safety score quiz and a rap session which allowed them to share their online experiences.

“While educating children about the responsible use of the internet is an annual priority for us at FLOW, we took a different approach this year to train children to become ambassadors for this cause. We believe that by appointing these children as FLOW Internet Safety Monitors, they will be able to impact their peers at school and in their communities for years to come,” stated Kayon Mitchell, director of corporate communications and stakeholder management.

Garvin Atkinson, principal of Chetwood Primary, expressed gratitude for the timely intervention.

“Our children are living in a digital age. They are online and while they are learning new things, they also can be exposed to great risks,” said Atkinson.

“At Chetwood, we try to encourage our students to use the internet for good and we are happy that Flow is reinforcing this message through the Safer Internet programme.”

Safer Internet Day is observed internationally on February 5. It is aimed at recognising and discussing concerns about being safe online, covering topics from cyber bullying to social networking.

This year’s activities were observed under the theme, “Together for a Better Internet”.