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Currently web safety is taught in schools as part of the personal, social and health curriculum, but almost a third of parents said that they don't think enough is being done to educate children about online safety.

A separate study carried out by the BBC and the UK Safer Internet Centre, a group of charities, found that almost two million British children under 16 have been targeted by strangers on the Internet, often without their parents knowing.

The study also found that children as young as eight routinely come across upsetting, violent or sexually explicit material while using tablet computers and mobile phones.

Nicky James, a primary schoolteacher said: "The Internet is a fantastic teaching tool but children are very inquisitive and can be naive to the real dangers that the Internet poses.

"In our school, children use net books on a daily basis and therefore need to be taught how to use them safely; however, a lot of unsafe Internet access happens at home when parents allow children to surf the Internet freely.

"Parents can start by making sure there are filters on all devices that have access to the Internet and should check Internet history."

Edward Timpson, Children and Families Minister, said: "Simple conversations can help keep children safe online. Safer Internet Day is a great initiative to raise awareness about staying safe and being a good online citizen. Children from the age of five will be soon be taught how to stay safe and communicate safely and respectfully when they go online."

The new computing curriculum, which will be introduced to primary schools in September 2014, states that by the end of Key Stage 1, pupils should be able to "use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private.

Pupils should also be able to "identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the Internet."