Education Minister Paul Givan has officially launched a new online Digital Proficiency Course designed to educate pupils, parents, and teachers on the importance of staying safe online.

Delivered through the Safer Schools NI platform, the course provides practical tools and knowledge to help young people navigate digital spaces. It is being made available free of charge to all educational settings across Northern Ireland and will go live on 10 February 2026, coinciding with Safer Internet Day.

The Minister launched the initiative during a visit to Braniel Primary School, one of 400 schools already pre-registered for the programme.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Givan said: "Our children and young people are engaging daily with technology, social media, and digital platforms at increasingly younger ages, and while some of these technologies offer benefits and create opportunities, they also contain potentially harmful risks.

"It is vital that we provide our schools with the resources that can support teachers and education staff to equip children and young people with the skills to navigate the digital and online world. Educating and empowering school communities is key to ensure pupils know how to access support from trusted adults or to report content when it makes them feel unsafe." The course uses an episodic, video-based format tailored to different age groups. It focuses on the 'Five Cs' of online risk: Content, Contact, Conduct, Commerce, and Cyber Security.

Colin Stitt, Head of Safer Schools at INEQE Safeguarding Group, commented: "Decades ago, 'Cycling Proficiency' taught us to navigate the physical world safely; today, that 'road' has become digital. The Digital Proficiency Course is an age-appropriate, episodic video-based programme based on the five 'Five Cs' of online risk – Content, Contact, Conduct, Commerce, and Cyber Security.

"I urge all schools and families to use these resources to educate, empower and protect our children and young people in the digital world."

Niall Manogue, Principal of Braniel Primary School, welcomed the new resource: "We're delighted to be commencing the Digital Proficiency Course in our school. We expect that it will help us identify what our children know and don't know about staying safe online and provide a structured, age-appropriate resource to help them navigate the online world."

The initiative is part of a broader safeguarding response and can be accessed via the Safer Schools NI website or mobile app.

To register your school or learn more about the Digital Proficiency Course, visit: saferschoolsni.co.uk/digitalproficiency/