Dubai: Using famous Disney characters to educate children on health, safety, intellectual property rights and eco-friendly practices, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior will circulate a DVD titled ‘Smart Safety’ in government schools, reaching 62,000 pupils.
“We are trying to utilise an innovative method to educate children on what practices to uphold for their own safety, health and to develop their sense of social responsibility, Major-General Dr Abdul Quddous Al Obaidly, Commander General Assistant for Quality and Excellence at the Ministry of Interior, said.
The ‘Smart Safety’ DVD was initiated by the Walt Disney Company and the global safety science company Underwriters Laboratories (UL). It features eight videos, each on a different topic and featuring instantly recognisable Disney characters, such as Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa. The videos are in English or Arabic.
The topics in the DVD include: Staying safe on the internet, how to stay in good physical shape, keeping the environment clean, how to act in case of a fire, safety conditions at home, staying safe while using different modes of transportation, and uphold respectable moral conducts and social responsibilities.
“I have witnessed children in Germany resolutely refuse to buy counterfeit products,” Al Obaidly said, “we are trying to bring this level of social responsibility to our children. This initiative, developed by Disney and UL company, is being introduced around the world and we wanted to ensure the UAE is the first Arab state to jump on board. It is a great way to effectively reach children and educate them on how to keep themselves safe on the internet,
In a two-day workshop, experts will be brought in to show schoolteachers how to present the videos to students.
“Smart Safety’ is being introduced around the world and the UAE is the first Arab state to jump on board,” Amal Al Koos, Assistant Undersecretary of Activities and School Environment at the Ministry of Education, said. “The initiative is targeting children between the ages of three and eight. It will be circulated across all the government schools in the country. In its trial phase it will reach about 14,000 students and then to about 62,000. If the initiative proves successful, we will consider granting it to private schools as well. Experts will be brought in for workshops to show schoolteachers how to present the videos.”
Ahmad Eldidi, regional manager of UL, said that the company conducted studies and reviewed stats by the WHO to develop ‘Smart Safety.’
“We looked at the primary causes of children’s deaths, a predominant reason was fire and smoke,” he said, “we added a whole section in the DVD dedicated to educate children on what to do in case a fire broke out. We also added a section to ward off cyber crime and ensure children can protect themselves online.”
