Kannur: Starting from this week, teachers in 150 government schools in Kerala’s Kannur district will train students of class 8 to class 12 how to identify fake news.
Under an initiative by the district administration, Satyameva Jayate, the students will be taught them how to distinguish between genuine information and false information, and how to spot sensational news and counter it, the Indian Express reported.
This comes in the context of the spread of misinformation on the internet leading to panic, fear and violence in many parts of the country.
The administration says the initiative is formulated based on the ideals of Article 51(A)(H) of the Constitution which calls for people to develop “scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.”
Under the one hour training, students will be asked to check the source of the information, match a piece of information with that provided by credible media organisations, and verify the correctness of facts with an online search.
“Children can be taught to be sceptical, and that can have a definite influence on their parents’ behaviour. We have seen that in other programmes too,” district collector Mir Mohammad Ali told the Express.
(developmentchannel)