However, manual, technical, technological and digital training (FMTTN) must be given from 3rd to 5th primary (and follow the implementation of the common core). “On the ground, it’s very uneven. There are so many changes to apply at the same time and digital is not a priority for everyone”deplores Mikael Degeer, director of the computer science department at the Haute Ecole Bruxelles-Brabant and expert in educational digital technology. “Many people imagine that because young people are connected, they are digitally savvy. But that’s not true.”
At unif, “it’s dramatic”
As a result, large disparities are observed at university and high schools. “It is dramatic and alarming. In the 1st year, 30% of students have digital difficulties. 80% have difficulty with Excel and it is even higher for email management (filtering, sorting by folder, etc.)”notes Sylviane Bachy, head of the Learning Support Service at ULB. “In master’s, 70% of students have digital difficulties.”
The students no longer know how to write: “it’s quite catastrophic, I have the impression that they no longer understand anything”
These taken-for-granted basics slow down learning. “1,000 students don’t know how to use a computer keyboard. We are facing the tablet and smartphone generation. Many families no longer have a PC, but it is essential for studies.”continues Sylviane Bachy. “It’s a social issue and secondary education does not prepare for digital technology.”
Mikael Degeer hopes that the transition period will not last and that everyone realizes the importance of digital education.
