Alexandra Simões Instituto de Apoio à Criança Portugal

1. Safer Internet Forum
21 October 2010 Luxembourg
Raising awareness in Parents
- Illiterate Parents:
Portugal’s pilot project
between the Ministry of
Education and an NGO
Alexandra Simões,
Child Care Institute (NGO)
©IAC 2010

2. Instituto de Apoio à Criança (Child
Care Institute) NGO
• Private institution of social welfare founded on
14th March 1983 by group of different
professional backgrounds
• Main objective is to contribute to full
development of children, defend and promote
their rights
• Several Departments/Services
Child Helpline (116 111 toll free)
Missing Children Helplline (116 000 toll free)
Work with Street Children
School Mediation

3. School Mediation: A new experience
To fight school absenteeism and violence
Team of school mediators working in the
school recess with the children in order to
build a bridge between school and family

4. Ministry of Education –DGIDC/ERTE
• Safer Internet centre – Internet Segura

5. Ministry of Education –DGIDC/ERTE
• Safer Internet centre – Seguranet
Aim: promote an enlightened, critical and
safe use of the Internet among the
educational community (teachers,
parents, students)
• 20 000 students monthly participate at
the http://www.seguranet.pt/
• 697 parents every 3 months participating

6. Ministry of Education – DGIDC/ERTE

7. Portugal: Population AGE
www.pordata.pt
2001
10.356.117
1.656.602
7.006.022
1.693.493
Total 0-14 y.o. 15-64 y.o. 65 + y.o.

8. Portugal: Population FAMILY
Families: total & types
2009
3.925.626
688.234 884.308
1.572.312
332.769 448.003
Total 1 individual couple without
children
couple with
children
monoparental
family
Others
www.pordata.pt

9. Portugal: Population EDUCATION
www.pordata.pt
Population over 15 y. o. Educational level
2009 (%)
10,8
29,1
14,6
19,6
14,7
11,2
None 1º ciclo 2º Ciclo 3º Ciclo Secundário University

10. Portugal: Population MIGRATION
Legal migrants: total & main origins
2009
451,742
16,373
52,253 26,292 48,417 22,404
115,882
Total
Reino
Unido
Ucrânia
Angola
Cabo-Verde
Guiné-Bissau
Brasil
www.pordata.pt

11. Portugal: Population SCHOOL
ATTENDANCE
Students registered: total & by level of
education cycle
2009
2.434.982
274.628
488.114
271.924
498.327 498.321 383.627
Total Educação
pré-escolar
1º Ciclo 2ºCiclo 3º ciclo Ensino
Secundário
University
www.pordata.pt

12. School Years mandatory
by law
Pre-school- 5 years old
1 st Basic Cycle: 1 st grade to 4 grade
Students from 6 to 9 y.o.
2 nd Basic Cycle: 5 th and 6th grade
Students from 10 to 11/12 y. o.
3 rd Basic Cycle: 7th to 9th grade
Students from 12/13 y.o.to 14/15 y .o.

13. More than 400.000
computers were
distributed to
students from 6 to 9
y. o.
For FREE (social
welfare)
Or
Cost: 50 €
Governmental Initiative 2008/09

14. Combined Project 1 st Fase
• School Mediators from IAC (senior year
University students from Psycology; Social
Workers, teaching,…) receive :
1. training on internet safety from
Ministry of Education Team
(DGIDC-ERT)
2. materials produced by the Safer
Internet Centre – Seguranet and
Program e-escolinhas

15. Combined Project 2 nd Fase
• School Mediators (from IAC)
1 st Basic Cycle: 1 st grade to 4 grade
Students from 6 to 9 y.o
Face 2 challenges:
1.Parents don’t like to come to school because
they are used to being “sent for” only when
child misbehave/poor grades
2. Most jobs are not “family sensitive” so
parents will see those working hours spent
at School deduced from their salary

16. • School Mediators (from IAC)
1 st Basic Cycle: 1 st grade to 4 grade
Students from 6 to 9 y.o
Use the school regular events (like Christmas
parties + closing year party + cultural weeks
based on the migrant population present at
the school + sports events
To engage parents and raise awareness among
them
and make themselves available to help
parents/families in case need help/advice
Combined Project 2 nd Fase

17. Combined Project : 2 nd Fase
• School Mediators (from IAC)
1 st Basic Cycle: 1 st grade to 4 grade
Students from 6 to 9 y.o
Also, School Mediators :
help teachers to reach for the parents and
elaborate children’s centred awareness
campaigns within school;
visit the families homes when they cannot
come to the school

18. Combined Project : 2nd fase
2 nd Basic Cycle: 5 th and 6th grade
Students from 10 to 11/12 y. o. AND
3 rd Basic Cycle: 7th to 9th grade
Students from 12/13 y.o.to 14/15 y .o
• School Mediators (from IAC) in partnership
with the TIC teachers (Technology and Inovation) train
students to act as Internet safety agents,
providing themselves training to younger
students AND to parents and encouraging
students to build/develop internet safety
campaigns

19. Combined Project 2 nd Fase
2 nd Basic Cycle: 5 th and 6th grade
Students from 10 to 11/12 y. o. AND
3 rd Basic Cycle: 7th to 9th grade
Students from 12/13 y.o.to 14/15 y .o
• School Mediators (from IAC) in partnership with the
TIC teachers (Technology and Information) encourage students
to build/develop internet safety campaigns trough
School contests/competitions AND schools
newspapers
• youth panels
• “cultural weeks”
• School expositions of students work/campaigns
• “School’s events” like show cases, sports events
between schools

20. Combined Project
Costs: O € !!!
Future Challenges:
• Seguranet Construct new materials
specific for illiterate parents based on the
project findings
• NGO assume the helpline for internet
safety issues providing support for
children and families

21. For
Our Children’s
Brighter
Future

22. Thank You
Obrigada
iacsos@net.sapo.pt
www.iacrianca.pt ©IAC 2010