KOCHI: The district administration is all set to expand e-jagrata, its novel training initiative to ensure safe, secure, and effective Internet usage for schoolchildren, by extending training to parent teacher associations as well.
Speaking to The Hindu , District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla, who drew up the programme banking on his IT background, said parents should be made active partners for the greater effectiveness of the project.
“Unfortunately, many parents are not proficient in IT and hence it is necessary to educate them so that they can regulate their children’s IT activities,” he said.
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In the next phase, residents associations will be made stakeholders of the project. The idea is to make it a holistic project for responsible IT intervention, said Mr. Safirulla, who was Director of State IT Mission before assuming charge as Collector.
e-jagrata, which was launched at 101 government schools, will be expanded to cover aided schools as well thus taking the number to 165 schools by January-end.
The programme is steered by the district administration in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), while the State Bank of Travancore is the financial partner.
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The programme, conceived with focus on safe use of Internet, was initially implemented at 101 government higher secondary schools in Ernakulam, Aluva, Kothamangalam, and Muvattupuzha educational districts in the first phase.
Besides setting up basic infrastructure comprising computer terminals, connectivity, and supporting infrastructure, students are made aware of cyber laws and safe use of Internet.
The programme also lays thrust on the legal consequences of violation of cyber laws while using Internet, which has become a major repository of knowledge. The project aims at making students realise as to how unscientific approach towards Internet could lead to its misuse which can land them in trouble.