With recent data from the eSafety Commissioner revealing a 450 per cent surge in cyberbullying over the past five years and ongoing news reports of the tragedies that occur as a result of online activity, Healthy Harold and the Life Ed team are bringing online safety education forward to keep kids safe earlier.

Through the launch of the new module, Harold’s Online World, Life Ed aims to equip Year 1 and 2 students early with the tools to stay safe online.

Harold’s Online World has been available in schools across Australia since Term 2, after an impactful introduction into selected states last term.

“Like all of Life Ed’s modules, Harold’s Online World is designed to teach kids about topics they may soon confront in their world, empowering them to critically evaluate the issues at hand.

“We want to give kids the chance to practise making positive choices in a safe environment before being confronted with difficult decisions,” Head of Education and Impact at Life Ed Australia, Karen Robertson said.

Harold’s Online World encourages students to balance screen time with offline activities, recognise and report harmful content, engage in positive online interactions, and seek help from trusted adults.

“It’s not just about online safety. To effectively embed learning about this topic, we must explore how we value, accept and treat each other across all domains,” Ms Robertson said.

“That’s why this new module takes a comprehensive, age-appropriate approach to education that addresses the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of students.

“This type of holistic education is what Life Ed prides itself on.

“Our more than 45 years of experience in schools has taught us that scare tactics don’t encourage long-term change.

“It’s about empowering children to learn about their bodies and celebrate their strengths, to instil confidence and resilience.”

As a Trusted eSafety Provider, endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner, Life Ed has been supporting school communities with education on online safety and wellbeing since 2016, with the bCyberwise module for Years 3 and 4, and Relate Respect Connect for Years 5 and 6.

Harold’s Online World addresses a critical need in the early years of primary school and allows for a more impactful whole-of-school approach, which sees learning evolve and grow as students do.

In addition to the iconic face-to-face Healthy Harold visit, Life Ed provides free pre and post visit resources and support for teachers and parents, to continue the conversation in and beyond the classroom.

Explore Harold’s Online World at lifeedorg.au/onlinesafety