How should children be taught about online harms and digital literacy? Education Committee to quiz experts
The Education Committee will question experts on how children are best taught about digital literacy and online harms.
MPs will also examine the wider role of educational online learning tools, and of digital literacy programmes developed by private companies and charities.
Meeting details
After hearing concerns that significant numbers of young people are unable to spot false information online, as shown by research from Ofcom, the cross-party Committee will use the session to investigate ways that digital literacy education could be improved.
The witnesses will also be asked to consider whether outside organisations could provide online learning tools to improve the current curriculum. There could also be questions about the potential role for tech companies to contribute to this area of children’s education, and whether conflicts of interest could arise.
After hearing about the state of education on these topics in panel one, MPs will use panel two to explore teachers’ capacity and expertise in delivering digital literacy and online safety in the current curriculum. These topics are taught in a combination of subjects: PSHE, computing and citizenship. The Committee will also be interested in how Ofsted should judge the quality of teaching of these subjects when carrying out school inspections.
This is the second session of the Committee’s inquiry into screen time and its effects on children’s wellbeing and education.
A 2020 report from Ofcom found that 57% of five to seven-year-olds have their own tablet, 14% have their own smartphone and 30% use social media sites. Among 12 to 15-year-olds, 91% have their own smartphone; 59% have their own tablet; and 87% use social media apps/sites. Furthermore, 31% of that age group said they had seen worrying or nasty content online, and 5% said they had encountered material online promoting terrorism or radicalisation.