For useful and safe digital technologies in schools

Belgrade, 28 March 2024 – UNICEF Serbia and Yettel continue their long-standing cooperation with the aim of further strengthening the internet access of schools and improving the digital literacy of students, teachers and parents.

Building on the results and resources developed in the previous period, UNICEF and Yettel will try, through the new partnership, to improve children’s digital skills, strengthen parents’ knowledge of how to protect their children from risks and promote safe use of the internet through the education system.

“Equal access to digital technologies and digital competencies is an important investment that brings benefit to students and the development of the entire society. Schools with internet access are centres for wider learning and improving the digital literacy of communities. Cooperation with Yettel is very important for the quality changes we want to achieve in order to ensure access to quality education and create opportunities for every child”, said Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Serbia.

Through the continued partnership between UNICEF and Yettel, the plan is for 4,500 children in 30 schools across Serbia to improve their knowledge in the field of digital literacy. The developed and tested trainings and materials will be included in the education system and further used to develop the digital skills of 60,000 students, parents and teachers.

This project builds on the several years of cooperation of UNICEF and Yettel, through the Bridging the Digital Divide and Safe Internet for the Whole Family programmes. The results of these projects are established homework clubs, digital technology libraries, trainings for teachers, educational materials for safe use of the internet, etc. To bridge the digital divide, Yettel has also extended free data usage for 2,200 SIM cards over the next two years for 30 schools in Serbia.

“Inclusive education, where all children, regardless of their circumstances, have the same conditions for learning and development, is a prerequisite for a better future. We believe that reliable and accessible connectivity is the proper way to provide every child with an equal chance to develop the skills necessary for the future. Cooperation with organizations sharing our values is important to us, and that is why we continue our long-standing partnership with UNICEF. I am convinced that together, we will make a significant contribution to the further development of digital skills of children, teachers and parents”, said Goran Vasić, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Yettel.

UNICEF will continue to support the use of educational digital technologies to improve learning opportunities for all students, increase the expert knowledge of teachers and further strengthen and modernize inclusive education.