HEALTH & WELLBEING // ALANNAH & MADELINE FOUNDATION
The importance of bridging the digital divide for primary school children SARAH DAVIES, CEO OF NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHARITY, THE ALANNAH & MADELINE FOUNDATION, DISCUSSES WHY ALL CHILDREN MUST HAVE ACCESS TO DIGITAL LITERACY FRAMEWORKS IN ORDER TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. Davies says building digital intelligence across all Australian society is an absolute must to keep children safe from online harm.
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So much of life nowadays happens online. Digital technologies bring many positive opportunities to children, and reforms to NAPLAN assessments will see Year 6 students being tested on digital literacy, if the school opts in. But those children who can’t access high quality digital resources or information about how to use them safely may be excluded from basic educational and career opportunities and are also at risk of exploitation. WHAT IS DIGITAL LITERACY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Digital literacy describes the set of skills and knowledge that students need to appropriately identify, select and use digital devices or
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systems. Knowing and understanding how to make the most of the technologies available to them, adapting to new ways of doing things as technologies evolve and protecting themselves and others safely in digital environments are essential skills for all our children. Poor digital literacy levels can lead to significant disadvantage over a lifetime, with digital inclusion being critical for people to engage in education, employment and public life, as well as to access health, financial and community services. WHO IS MOST AT RISK OF EXCLUSION? Many of Australia’s most vulnerable children also have the lowest levels of digital literacy and
education matters primary
digital inclusion. According to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII): • Households with the most precarious access to technology and the lowest digital skills tend to be those which are already struggling with other barriers, such as low incomes, unemployment, disability, internet access through mobile phone data only, and education levels below Year 12. Indigenous Australians are particularly affected. • Major inequalities exist between capital cities and rural areas. The Australian regions with the lowest digital inclusion are all rural, including Murray and Murrumbidgee (New South Wales), North Victoria, North-West Queensland and Southern Tasmania. • There are 130,000 primary school children at
