National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education will implement 'Educational Cybersecurity Curricula' in some 170 private schools during the first phase, followed by 100 private schools during the next phase.
The implementation of Educational Cybersecurity Curricula in private schools comes after their implementation during the year 2023 in all government schools, based on the National Cyber Security Agency’s keenness to build a digitally secure society, and its continuous endeavor to enhance digital safety indicators in society.
The Cybersecurity Educational Curricula aims to build a new generation capable of dealing with the digital world safely and effectively, and raise children and adolescents’ awareness of various concepts related to cybersecurity and digital safety. It targets students in various educational levels from the first grade of primary school to the third grade of secondary school.
Omar Abdulaziz al-Naema, assistant undersecretary for Private Education Affairs, clarified that the Cybersecurity Educational Curricula project is an important step aimed at enhancing students’ awareness of cybersecurity concepts and digital safety. It also plays a direct role in enhancing the overall educational content by introducing a new focus on digital literacy.
Al-Naema added that the implementation of the Cybersecurity Educational Curricula in private schools is a step towards further expansion of the application of the curricula at a state level.
Dalal al-Aqeedi, director, National Cyber Excellence Department at the National Cyber Security Agency, noted, “The agency aims, as part of its overall strategy, to enhance cybersecurity indicators, digital safety, and digital literacy for various segments of the society, with students at forefront. Digital literacy for students will be a fundamental pillar in preparing the community as a whole.”
She stressed the Cybersecurity Educational Curricula is fully consistent with the preventive cybersecurity strategy adopted by the National Cyber Security Agency for enhancing digital security indicators in the State of Qatar.
The National Cyber Security Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, will launch, during this month, site visits to schools as part of ‘Cyber Echo’ project, which aims to further enhance digital literacy for students at different educational levels.
The project will complement the Cybersecurity Educational Curricula and also provide specialised training content for trainers and parents.
The project targeted some 80 government schools in its first phase, and in this phase, will target around 70 private schools, bringing the number of targeted schools in the country to about 150 government and private schools.
