Grameenphone, UNICEF and ISD observe International ‘Safer Internet Day’

Grameenphone and UNICEF observed international ‘Safer Internet Day’ together at the International School Dhaka (ISD) on February 5, 2019. The event was organized to build better awareness around the safety measures that both students and guardians can adopt to ensure a positive digital learning experience.

250 students from Grade 5 to Grade 10 were provided a better understanding of online safety through a gamified journey designed to help children to develop the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the online world in a safer and more enjoyable way.

The Child Online Safety Program is Grameenphone’s flagship initiative to ensure a safer online experience for children in an increasingly digital environment. Grameenphone has been driving online safety since 2014 and partnered with UNICEF in 2018 to expand the program to educate and sensitize 400,000 children, aged between 11 to 16 years, and 70,000 parents and guardians.

Expressing his excitement to be part of the Safer Internet Day at ISD, Yasir Azman, Deputy CEO and CMO of Grameenphone stated, “We have taken a very strong position when it comes to safer internet and helping young users to navigate safely in the digital space. We are in the era of the internet and our children are using the internet from a very early age. The internet is the great equalizer giving equal access to information and educational content to young learners. We can’t simply keep our children away from internet as the internet is the single most powerful tool to take education and knowledge to the furthest reaches of our county. So, ensuring safer internet should be the first and foremost concern for the guardians, teachers and everyone involved in this ecosystem.”

Jean Jieby, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF stated, “In the midst of growing internet users, violence online including cyberbullying is a growing global problem. The violence that children face in their homes, schools and communities is often amplified in the digital world. The good news is that we can #ENDviolence online, including cyberbullying by ensuring that legislation is in place, by setting up and equipping helplines, and training and supporting teachers, parents and children to identify, prevent and respond to bullying and cyberbullying. We are delighted to be working with Grameenphone in this regard.”

ISD is one of the leading schools of Bangladesh and the only day school with the full International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. ISD’s advanced educational system requires their students to access the internet from Grade 1 and is used for student to submit assignments, learn new things and engage in activities. In order to ensure that students understand their responsibilities while using the internet from an early age, ISD partnered with Grameenphone and UNICEF to observe Safer Internet Day this year and hosted the event.

Ildiko Murray, ISD Secondary School Principal said, “Our educational system has always required a guideline that embraces technology with creativity, full access to knowledge and information for students from an early age. The internet is a great learning tool and at ISD we have been teaching our students to be responsible individuals. Grameenphone and UNICEF’s Be Smart Use Heart campaign is a great initiative that teaches not only students but also parents and teachers on how to be responsible and safe towards their activities over the internet. We encourage our students to always learn, act responsibly and this initiative will create new scopes for development and a more open communication between teachers and students.”