Boost for e-safety in schools |18 December 2008

This follows a half-day workshop at which the Safe Technology Committee, formed earlier this year, presented a series of educational materials to schools’ information technology teachers. 

These materials offer preventive strategies to schools, providing ways to prepare young people for scenarios they may not know of.

Minister Shamlaye launching the workshop

Minister for Education Bernard Shamlaye launched the workshop and stressed the importance of having rules to provide e-safety for students in the same way as there are rules to protect them from other harm.

He said: “Schools have major roles to play in providing the students with effective ways to be cautious when using technology.”

Mr Shamlaye also thanked the committee for giving the ministry tools that can be included in the schools curriculum. He called on all stakeholders – the government, schools, internet cafes, telecommunication companies and internet providers – to make a joint push for e-safety for our children, who lack the knowledge and maturity to protect themselves.

A member of the Safe Technology Committee said: “The internet is an area which has a lot of potential to cater for progress and it has as much potential to cater for abuse.”

He added that the dangers in such technologies, such as hacking and sexual predators, are not as evident in Seychelles as in other countries. But the committee wants to avoid having an explosion of these problems here by educating children and giving their teachers the resources to help.