UNESCO launches online child safety training
The new programme equips teachers with tools to identify and respond to digital harms.
UNESCO and India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training have launched a national training programme to help teachers, educators, and education professionals identify, prevent, and respond to online violence affecting children.
The five-day programme is delivered live from 1 to 5 June 2026 in English, followed by a Hindi edition from 8 to 12 June. It is broadcast on NCERT’s official YouTube channel and the PM e-VIDYA platform, as well as on DTH TV Channels 6–12. Certification is available through the DIKSHA platform.
The initiative aims to strengthen teacher capacity as children spend more time on social media, gaming platforms, and online learning tools. UNESCO said India has more than one billion internet subscribers, with young people among the country’s most active digital users.
The programme covers cyberbullying, online grooming, image-based abuse, exploitation, exposure to harmful content, hate speech, and misinformation. It also addresses the impact of online violence on children’s mental health, well-being, learning outcomes, and participation in education.
Sessions bring together expertise from education, child protection, mental health, law enforcement, and digital governance. Contributors include experts from UNESCO, AIIMS, the Ministry of Home Affairs, NITI Aayog, Delhi Police, and Dublin City University.
UNESCO reported that cybercrime cases against children in India rose from 232 in 2018 to 1,823 in 2022, almost an eight-fold increase. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, reported cases increased by 32%.
The programme aligns with India’s National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, both of which emphasise digital citizenship, learner safety, digital literacy, and ethical use of technology.
Why does it matter?
The training shows how child online safety is becoming part of education policy, not only cybercrime enforcement. By equipping teachers to recognise online harms and respond through referral pathways, UNESCO and NCERT are treating schools as part of the frontline response to cyberbullying, grooming, image-based abuse, misinformation, and other risks affecting children’s learning and well-being.
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