EIM targets educators through country-wide Internet awareness campaign

The first of a series of planned seminars was held at the Etisalat Head Office in Sharjah, which attracted participation from over 200 members of the local educator community, including principals, head of departments and administrators.

Making this announcement in Dubai today, Mr. Abdulla Hashim, Senior Manager, Business Development & Sales, EIM said: 'One of the primary objectives of the campaign is to bridge the digital divide that exists in the country's education sector, even as the UAE as a whole is increasingly embracing the Internet age.'

'The past few years have seen the launch of a number of e-initiatives in the country that are aimed at transforming the UAE into the e-hub of the region. As the leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the region, EIM bears the social responsibility of playing a key role in this process by facilitating the creation of an information-literate society,' he added.

At the end of 2001, the subscriber base for EIM's dial-up service in the country stood at an impressive 256,326. With an Internet penetration rate of over 28%, which is the highest in the region, the UAE has already secured its place as one of the top 20 most wired nations in the world.

Mr. Hashim further said that the education sector in the country comprises over 700,000 students at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. 'Students constitute 25 percent of the total population of the UAE, making it the single largest homogeneous demographic segment in the country. This presents a tremendous opportunity for us to create awareness about the Internet as a powerful source of information and an effective tool for sharing knowledge and collaborative learning.'

Stressing the need for a special focus on the country's student community, Mr. Yousif Al Haway, Residential Sales Manager, EIM said: 'The most effective way to encourage students to use the Internet as an educational tool is by creating awareness about this exciting communication medium among teachers and education administrators. Apart from providing students with guidance on the proper and safe use of technology, they can also play a key role in implementing an effective Internet policy within the country's education sector.'

Mr. Haway further added that the scope of the awareness campaign would soon be enhanced to include a series of road shows that would travel to private and public schools in all UAE Education Zones in the country.

'Through interactive presentations, lectures, and demonstrations, teachers, supervisors, administrators, and students will be shown how the Internet can be effectively used as an educational tool that can immensely enhance both the teaching and learning experience, while enriching the education environment with its abundant source of information.'

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