Schools should teach digital technology, says former Education Secretary

Schools need to place more focus on teaching young people digital skills, according to former Education Secretary Lord Kenneth Baker.

Baker, who is Chairman of education charity the Edge Foundation, warned that millions of jobs are under threat from automation and that jobs in professions that were once considered careers for life are being lost.

Changing

According to Baker, many professional jobs are under threat from artificial intelligence, and it could have an impact on sectors such as the law, transport and construction.

He has produced the Digital Revolution report urging the education system to tackle the way in which technological changes will affect the jobs market.

The report provides an in-depth look at the digital revolution and how it will affect employment and education.

Baker stated that more emphasis should be placed on digital skills, which he said are “almost entirely absent from the core curriculum in mainstream schools.”

Experts

In the report, Baker states that in the digital revolution, young people need “a broad range of skills, attitudes and experiences.”

He outlined the changes that should be introduced to schools to help young people develop digital skills, with one suggestion being that computer science should be taught at GCSE level.

He believes that apprenticeships should be made available to young people from the age of 14 to combine “core academic curriculum with hands-on learning”, and that primary schools should bring in advanced equipment and experts to help young people develop skills.