Dr. Sayeda Zia Batool, Chairperson, PEIRA highlighted escalating and emerging challenges of educational institutions including cyberbullying, social media misuse, and online fraud, stating that ensuring digital safety is an essential responsibility, while speaking in a panel discussion on ‘Cyber-Security and Digital Citizenship’ during the National Curriculum Summit 2024 organized by the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training. The discussion emphasized the importance of a safe and ethical digital environment for students and educators in Pakistan. She outlined PEIRA's proactive efforts within its jurisdiction of 1,642 private educational institutions in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), serving over 350,000 students and more than 20,000 teachers.
PEIRA’s key initiatives include collaborations with private partner organizaitons to launch specialized training and awareness programs, workshops on safe digital practices, and "Train the Trainers" programs to empower teachers against cyber threats. Dr. Batool called for a national strategy to integrate digital literacy and online safety into the education system, proposing a standardized "Digital Safety Code," age-appropriate educational materials, and public-private partnerships to promote cybersecurity awareness.
Committed to fostering a secure digital environment, PEIRA aims to strengthen the capacity of private educational institutions in the ICT to address emerging cyber challenges, aligning these efforts with national policy objectives through the summit.