Maria visited both Aldworth School and Queen Mary’s College, where she spoke with Headteachers and students about bullying and online safety.
Maria said: “It was really helpful and informative to speak with students directly about the impact of online abuse and bullying through social media platforms. It is so important that children are aware of the potential dangers of online communication, and are able to properly recognise what is and is not acceptable behaviour. We cannot ignore the very real harms which young people face online every day, and I am encouraged that the Government is currently pushing forward with the Online Safety Bill, which will introduce laws to protect children online and tackle some of the worst abuses on social media.
It was also good to meet with the new Headteacher at QMC, Mark Henderson, and new Head of School at Aldworth, Chris Rice. I was glad to speak with the incoming leadership and hear about their respective priorities and plans for their schools going forward.”
Proposals in the Online Safety Bill will make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online. In line with the full Government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation published in December 2020, the Bill will place duties of care on companies and will give Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator, the functions and powers to oversee the regulatory regime. Ofcom will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance.