Executive
summary
Today’s digital world, with its massive amounts of information
and misinformation, requires an unprecedented level of uidity
from students. They must be able to distinguish fact from opinion,
objectivity from bias, and honesty from insincerity in an online
setting. They must understand the risks of technology and the
internet, and how to mitigate those risks. At the same time, the digital
world requires them to have the soft skills of an adapter, a creator, a
problem solver, and a critical thinker.
As technology transforms every aspect of our lives, and the world is
rapidly shaped by articial intelligence (AI), students who are digital-,
data-, and media-literate will have a signicant advantage over their
peers. Digital skills are now essential for all professions, from science
and engineering to healthcare and nance, and even the arts. It is
crucial that students learn digital skills so they can compete in the
job market and contribute positively to society and the economy.
They also need digital skills to be savvy enough to recognize
misinformation and not fall prey to the dangers of disinformation and
fake news, which can imbue students with a distorted world view or
mistrust of media.
Our research reveals that secondary school students are not
suciently condent in the digital skills required to thrive in the 21
st
century. This is particularly pronounced in certain student cohorts,
such as those in rural areas. Rural students face a double inequality –
less access to technology and less teaching of digital skills than their
urban peers. Even among older secondary school students (aged
16–18), who are closest to joining the workforce, condence is low.
The majority of teachers and parents in our global survey agree
that students need digital skills for their entry into the workforce.
However, parents overestimate their children’s condence in
these skills. It could also be that students are underestimating
their digital skills. Across 16–18-year-old students in our survey,
only 55% say they have the digital skills necessary for success. Yet,
when their parents and teachers were asked, 70% of teachers and
64% of parents believed the students were well equipped with the
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Capgemini Research Institute 2023
Future-ready education: Empowering secondary school students with digital skills
