New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS): The CyberPeace Foundation on Friday announced a partnership with WhatsApp to create awareness on cyber safety among students and teachers.

The association under the "e-Raksha" programme aims to reach 15,000 students in five regions in the first phase -- Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra -- by the end of this year.

"As students spend more time online, they become more vulnerable to cyber threats such as cyberbullying, stumbling across child abuse material, cybercriminals disrupting online classes, the spread of misinformation, privacy issues and more," said Vineet Kumar, Founder and President, CyberPeace Foundation.

"Given the widespread popularity of WhatsApp, we are confident that the initiative will entail in creating sustainable cyber aware school students and bolster the educational system in India against cyber attacks," he said in a statement.

CyberPeace Foundation will train teachers, parents and students using a co-created curriculum in consultation with UNICEF and state police authorities.

The curriculum that has been created by WhatsApp and CyberPeace Foundation will focus on developmental skills and offer consultations with education boards, and governments at the state and national level.

"This partnership underscores the critical need for cyber safety through digital literacy and we are delighted to be a part of this initiative," said Shivnath Thukral, Public Policy, WhatsApp India.