Children in UK primary schools spend an average of just 46 minutes a week learning digital skills critical for future jobs, new research reveals.
A survey of primary school teachers, conducted by home broadband provider Trooli, shows that digital skills, a vital requirement for employers, are not being prioritised in UK classrooms. More time is dedicated to learning subjects like dance and drama (55.8 minutes) and art (52.5 minutes) each week.
90% of teachers say that IT skills are not a top priority in primary schools and only 26% said that students leave their school prepared with the basic IT skills they need for modern life and future jobs.
This is despite the fact that IT and digital skills are needed for the vast majority of jobs. According to the Skills and Employment Survey 2024, almost 8 out of 10 workers in the UK regard computer skills as essential or important – and this number is only set to rise.
The research found that when IT lessons are taught, they often fail to cover the core skills needed for modern life and work. In fact, 81% of teachers say their school’s IT curriculum is not designed with skills for the future in mind. One teacher even commented that “lots of children know how to play games online but they don’t know the basic skills like typing, research, spotting fake news”.
41% of teachers say that coding got the most focus in their primary school, despite it being a skill required for only around 6% of jobs in the current market. On the other hand, only 7% of teachers said that basic troubleshooting had the most focus for their students – a digital skill that is actually required for more than 42% of jobs.
Teachers expressed their frustration. One said: “I teach some of my children coding when they don’t even know how to type effectively or save a document”. Another said they experienced a “lack of time to achieve meaningful impactful tech teaching” in their school.
Teachers say that the biggest barriers to teaching tech education today are time, funding and training. Only 30% believe their school is equipped with all the technology it needs to teach IT effectively, while just 15% say there is a member of staff at their school with adequate expertise to teach emerging skills, like using AI.
Lee Probert, Managing Director of Trooli, says: “The generation of children who are at school now are digital natives. In a lot of cases, they can use devices like games consoles and tablets quicker than most adults. However, as our research has shown, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the IT skills needed for a successful future in the modern-day workforce. Children are online all day but can’t perform basic digital tasks, like writing an email or spotting fake news.
“We need to equip our children with the technology, confidence, and the real-life skills they need to flourish in the real world, such as fixing Wi-Fi issues and understanding basic troubleshooting. That’s why, at Trooli, we’re committed to providing households with access to reliable, full fibre broadband, and supporting families to help children learn, create, and stay safe online at home.”
Check out Trooli’s practical guide to helping parents support their children build essential digital skills at home.
