Telenor, GP, Unicef develop global online curriculum for children

Grameenphone (GP), Telenor and Unicef recently launched a global online curriculum - Digiworld Bangla (https://gpsocial.co/digiworld) - designed in Bangla to help children between the ages of 5-16 develop online understanding and strengthen digital resilience.

According to a press release, the curriculum has been developed according to ITU Guidelines on Child Online Protection and Parts of the curriculum can be used in an offline environment to support children and schools without internet connectivity.

Digiworld Bangla is also included in ITU guidelines as an example of how the ITU Guidelines on Child Online Protection can be delivered in practice, it added.

It was developed for children, families and schools by international experts Parent Zone together with Telenor Group, Grameenphone and was made possible in partnership with Unicef.

Digiworld Bangla fosters an enjoyable learning experience for children through interactive games, access to a digital library that they can complete at their own pace for their knowledge and clarity.

Downloadable worksheets are also available for teachers to plan sessions and guidelines for parents to support children's interaction with the online world effectively, stated the press release.

As children interact with resources available on Digiworld Bangla, they will receive certificates after they complete each level to recognize their achievements and boost their digital resilience.

The prolonged lockdown imposed due to Covid-19 has limited the playgrounds of children within the digital screens to a huge extent. The increased internet usage has made them more vulnerable to online child-harassments, the release noted.

Yasir Azman, CEO, GP,  said, "While our young learners must be digitally oriented and tech-savvy so they may compete globally, it is equally important that they do this safely."

He said Digiworld Bangla ensures that children, parents and teachers have easy access to the right tools and knowledge they need to make safe and responsible choices online.

Haakon Bruaset Kjoel, head of External Relations of Telenor Asia, said, "The launch of DigiWorld Bangla is an important next step towards creating equal opportunity for all children to build digital resilience, which is more important today than it has ever been," he added.

Collaboratively, GP, Telenor and Unicef have trained 10 lakh children and engaged with three lakh parents and guardians across Bangladesh to facilitate the adoption of best practices and informed use of the internet.