News Lords highlight the need for digital literacy

This doesn't come as a surprise to me - I work in Adult Education, and our Internet courses are always popular. It's not surprising that the worst-affected areas are those regions with a high rural population - BT's infrastructure improvements are still rolling out too slowly despite the millions they've received in funding...

 

The public choose the MP's as the decision makers, yet the MP's don't have the knowledge or experience to make good intelligent decisions. Especially when it comes to anything based on science or technology.

While the MP's are a weak link, the public and system for choosing the MP's is a weaker link.

 

Headline made me think it was the Lords that needed the education... and they do!

Of course better IT education would be a good thing; but I wouldn't suggest the UK is lacking in the knowledge.

 

I used to train people on digital systems (left that career 6 years ago) and the level of digital literacy was very poor. Yes, most of the people could use a web browser, but if it wasn't in the 'familiar place' of their home or work computer then they were lost. As for moving files around, a lot of them got lost very easily if they knew how to do it in the first place.

It was frustrating that on a five day course at least half a day was explaining silly things like 'yes, I know you only use a mac, but this software only runs on a pc. It is exactly the same menus you are used to, but the windows have slightly squarer corners and the close/minimise buttons are on the other side.

There was such a de-skilling of the industry (print in this case) over the previous fifteen years that anyone would be employed instead of a 'tradesman'. Those people were not stupid, just no skills applicable to any digital environment.

 

Cabinet reshuffles are always a good reminder of this. Minister for Health (which (s)he was useless at) is now Minister for Education (which they will be equally useless at!)? And their degree is in political history! WTF?! The only thing politicians know is how to lie well and dress smart. Generally.

 

Digital literacy? Literacy in general is lacking with a large and increasing percentage of people not knowing basic English rules such as the differences between 'their', 'there' and even 'they' which doesn't even sound the same.
Besides, this nation will surely never be 'left behind' as those in charge will merely do what they already do for other skilled positions such as Doctors, Paramedics and many others... they will just employ foreign people to come and do the job on vastly over-inflated contracts.

http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/n...s/recruit_overseas_paramedics.aspx?lang=en-gb

 

"right up there with English and maths". Well that's reassuring because standards there are just brilliant.

/sarcasm