ISPCC Welcomes Minister for Education and Skills 'New Digital Learning Framework for Schools'

The ISPCC welcomes the news of a new Digital Learning Framework for schools as it recognises the important and invaluable role technology plays in the lives of children and young people today.  

The Framework is one of the actions from the Action Plan 2017  of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 and the main aims are to

• Help schools and individual teachers to plan how to upskill to realise the potential of digital    technologies
• Provide for internal and external evaluation of how digital technologies are being embedded across all aspects of school activity
• Support planning in areas like literacy, numeracy and STEMwhich require a cross-curricular  focus.

Technology is embedded in children's personal lives and it is fantastic that there is now momentum to embed it into their school life too. Students at Junior Cycle have the opportunity to study Coding as a short course, and from 2018 they will be able to choose Computer Science at senior cycle. These are welcome introductions onto the curriculum.

The ISPCC notes another action from the Action Plan 2017 is 'To promote responsible and ethical use of the internet and related technologies'. Children's cyber safety is a key child protection issue for the ISPCC.  A cross- governmental approach is required for this, including the introduction of a Cyber Safety Strategy for Children, encompassing education measures such as these, law reform, and enhanced regulation. 

Interim CEO Caroline O'Sullivan "The Minister states that his overall ambition is to make Ireland's education system the best in Europe within a decade. In order to realise this ambition, especially in the area of improving children's digital capacity, their digital safety must be prioritised alongside this, by being introduced onto the curriculum also. This is a key element of having a cross-governmental cyber safety strategy for children.