UK Bans Children From Social Media, But Kent Schools Only Teach Digital Skills For 46 Minutes A Week
81% of UK teachers say their school’s IT curriculum is not designed with skills for the future in mind.
Image Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash
New research finds that more time is spent dedicated to learning subjects like art and dance and drama each week than digital skills in Kent primary schools.
A survey of primary school teachers by home broadband provider Trooli reveals that children in Kent spend an average of just 46 minutes a week learning digital skills that are a vital requirement for future jobs and employers.
With the recent government announcement of an expected social media ban for under 16s, Trooli’s findings uncover a real need to address the digital skills gap in UK school children.
According to the Skills and Employment Survey 2024, almost 8 out of 10 workers in the UK regard computer skills as essential or important yet only 25% of teachers in Kent say that students leave their school prepared with the basic IT skills they need for modern life and future jobs.
In fact, 87% of teachers in Kent admit that IT skills are not a top priority in primary schools, and more than four fifths of those surveyed say their school’s IT curriculum is not designed with skills for the future in mind.
41% of teachers say that coding got the most focus in their primary school, despite it being a skill required for only around 6% of jobs in the current market. But just 7% of teachers say that basic troubleshooting had the most focus for their students – a digital skill that is actually required for almost half of all current jobs.
One teacher said that “I teach some of my children coding when they don’t even know how to type effectively or save a document”, while another commented “lots of children know how to play games online but they don’t know the basic skills like typing, research, spotting fake news”.
The survey also reveals that teachers think the biggest barriers to teaching tech education are time, funding and training, with one stating that they experienced a “lack of time to achieve meaningful impactful tech teaching” in their school.
Only 30% of teachers believe their school is equipped with all the technology it needs to teach IT effectively, while just 15% say there is a member of staff at their school with adequate expertise to teach emerging skills, like using AI.
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Lee Probert, Managing Director of Trooli, says: “The generation of children who are at school now are digital natives. In a lot of cases, they can use devices like games consoles and tablets quicker than most adults. However, as our research has shown, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the IT skills needed for a successful future in the modern-day workforce. Children are online all day but can’t perform basic digital tasks, like writing an email or spotting fake news.
“We need to equip our children with the technology, confidence and the real-life skills they need to flourish in the real world, such as fixing Wi-Fi issues and understanding basic troubleshooting. That’s why, at Trooli, we’re committed to providing households with access to reliable, full fibre broadband and supporting families to help children learn, create and stay safe online at home.”
• Check out Trooli’s practical guide to helping parents support their children build essential digital skills at home
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