HEALTH & WELLBEING // THE ALANNAH & MADELINE FOUNDATION
New statistics from the eSafety Commissioner saw online risks continue to rise through the first half of 2021.
The importance of bridging the digital divide for secondary school students 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.
CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation Sarah Davies.
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So much of life nowadays happens online. Digital technologies bring many positive opportunities to teenagers and reforms to NAPLAN assessments will see Year 10 students being tested on digital literacy, if the school opts in. But those students 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 and digital intelligence describe the set of skills and knowledge that students need to appropriately identify, select and use digital devices or 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 DIGITAL EXCLUSION? Many of Australia’s most vulnerable children and
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their families also have the lowest levels of digital literacy and 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 North-East New South Wales, North-West Victoria, North-West Queensland and Burnie and West Tasmania. In particular, the ADII notes that 800,000 school students are growing up in families in the lowest income bracket, where digital inclusion scores are well below the national average. A survey of nearly 2,000 Australian teachers found that four out of five teachers believed students’ access to educational technology was affected by their socio-economic circumstances. CHILDREN NEED SUPPORT IN THEIR ‘MIDDLE YEARS’ The years between the ages of 10 and 14 are hugely
