IT companies go to school

Along with the global growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), schools are trying to educate their students on the proper use of IT and its impact on society.

As part of their demand fulfillment program, Kolese Kanisius will hold the first Canisius Fair, with the theme Gateway to better learning: Education in the era of globalization, digitalization and information.

Companies with global recognition in the IT industry such as IBM, Apple, Samsung, and Hewlett Packard will participate in the fair that will be held on Apr. 16 and 17 at the Canisius school building at Jl. Menteng Raya No. 64, Central Jakarta.

"We must treat IT as a tool, not a final destination, in order to achieve better education. Therefore, proper use of IT must be taught to students, remembering that children are exposed to all sorts of images and news on the Internet, for example," said the director of the school, Baskoro Poedjienoegroho.

The fair, which has been in preparation for four months, is targeting for 4,000 to 5,000 visitors. IT companies will be demonstrating to the public the function and operation of their products, instead of just trying to sell something to people which they do not really understand.

"This fair will also be a starting point to open up the public's eyes to the reality of IT development in the world," said organizing committee chairman Gunawan.

The school hopes that, along with their focus on character building, providing students with IT skills will also contribute to the country's overall development.

In line with the 78th anniversary of the school's founding, the school also hopes to reflect on its achievements so far and look for new alternatives in education that are in line with the developments and needs of the era of globalization.

"In this era, IT has sneaked into every aspect of our lives and changed human behavior. On the other hand, IT also gives the benefit of practicality and develops intelligence," Baskoro said.

"However, IT also has the potential to erode norms and moral values, with people becoming more individualistic," he said. (005) -- JP