State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications Tatjana Matić has said that digital literacy of children and young is the precondition for a proper, efficient and safe use of new technologies.
At the conference on the Safe Internet Day, in the Scientific Research Park Belgrade, Ms Matić has congratulated to the awarded teachers in the competition “Digital Class”, to whom diplomas have been handed at this occasion.
She said that their contribution is crucial in the complex process of development of digital cultures of the new generations. At this year’s competition of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications, there were 51 papers awarded, and all the papers meeting the requirements of the competition will be published at the following address:
zbornikradova.mtt.gov.rs
“Apart from the “Digital Class” the Ministry responsible for telecommunications is conducting other programmes and projects as well for encouraging the use of ICT in education, among which the most important is the connection of all primary and secondary schools to the Serbian Academy Network. The Networking was conducted last year, by which the schools got free and safe Internet and infrastructural support for efficient implementation of computer science teaching”, State Secretary has reminded.
“Ministry has been conducting two years in a row the campaign for smart and safe use of digital technologies, IT caravan which has covered over 10000 pupils so far, and this year it will be dedicated to parents as well. Within the campaign there are promotions of the National contact centre for online safety of children, which in one year from its establishment, it has got over 4000 calls”, says Ms Matić.
Among those who spoke at the conference was also the State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development Anamarija Viček, who emphasized that this Ministry will systematically and in a long run influence the establishment of digital culture of the young, and their safety status in the online environment.
“Introduction of mandatory subject of computer and information science in primary schools ensures a full coverage of pupils of that age, and the activities on continuous trainings of teachers will definitely in the long run contribute to the development of digital literacy and safety”, says Mrs Viček.
Special guest of the conference, representative of UNICEF Michel Saint-Lot has said that it is clear that children are in the centre of the digital policy of Serbia and that it is necessary that regulations and mechanism for online safety of children are fully operational, particularly when it comes to the safety of privacy and identity of children online.
“UNICEF is ready, as always, to provide the support so that all children could use the possibilities of the digital era and be equipped with proper skills to efficiently and safely participate in the social, civil, economic and political life”, says Mr Saint-Lot.
There were two panel discussions: “Digital literacy for digital safety” and “Institutional and civil response to the online children threatening” participated by the representatives of the educational and health sector, Ministry of Interior, non-governmental organisation Save the Children, and UNICEF, representatives of the National contact centre for online safety of children, and Mr Igor Jurić, the founder of Tijana Jurić Foundation.
The international Safe Internet Day is celebrated today in over 130 countries worldwide, with the message “Create, connect, share respect: Better Internet starts with you”.
