The Kerala General Education Department has introduced ‘Fact-Checking’ modules in new ICT textbooks for Classes 5 and 7 to help students identify fake news and verify online information. This initiative places Kerala ahead of countries like the UK, which is still planning to incorporate similar lessons into its primary curriculum.
This move builds on the 2022 initiative by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), which trained 19.72 lakh students from Grades 5 to 10 on digital media literacy. This comprehensive training, titled ‘Satyameva Jayate,’ was a pioneering effort in India, reaching 9.48 lakh upper primary and 10.24 lakh high school students through 5,920 trainers.
The new ICT textbooks include chapters like ‘Let’s Search the Internet’ and ‘Let’s Search and Find,’ focusing on identifying fake news, verifying information authenticity, and managing screen time. These lessons also cover the legal implications of spreading false information and emphasize the importance of responsible digital behaviour.
Additionally, the Class 7 ICT textbook introduces Artificial Intelligence (AI) to 4 lakh students for the first time in the country. Textbooks are available in multiple languages, including Malayalam, English, Kannada, and Tamil, on the Samagra portal, link given HERE.
Picture Credit – english.metrovaartha.com
