The Killarney Community College have introduced new measures in order to reduce online bullying and general distraction within the classroom by asking their students to voluntarily hand up their phones to their teachers at the beginning of every class.

The initiative comes in the wake of new data published this week reporting worrying online trends faced by school goers.Cyber Safe Kids, an Irish online safety charity, carried out research for it's annual trends and usage report and were able to include secondary school data for the first time.98% of all 12-16 year olds now own a mobile phone with up to 40% of secondary school goers reporting being cyber bullied with girls overall being the most likely victims. Almost two thirds of teachers have reported dealing with online safety incidents. The survey also showed many students reported being unaware of how to best protect themselves online.Feedback from the student council has been overwhelmingly positive as students noted that notifications and the temptation to look at their phone are now a thing of the past thus maximising teaching and learning in their classes.Principal Stella Loughnane has already noted the positive impact it is having on the school."In recent years I've found myself dealing with more and more online issues that have spilled over to the classroom. Incidents of Cyber bullying are worrying and clearly on the rise. Every student has a right to feel safe in school and learn in a distraction free environment,” she said.“Our teaching staff have noted the ease to which our students have taken to handing up their phones and have noticed a greater focus and improved levels of concentration within the classroom. Students are still free to use their phones at lunch time but we are definitely seeing the benefits of less screen time for our students.”