2911 Sshools Not Preparing Kids for Digital Age

A study he National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), sponsored by Microsoft Corp., finds that schools are ill-prepared to teach students the basics of online safety, security and ethics, skills that are necessary in today's digital times. At the surface, America's K12 schools embrace the digital age, with dedicated computer labs, technology-integrated classrooms and students well-versed in the Internet as a means for homework and a social life. That said, administrators, teachers and IT coordinators do not agree on the best approach to ensure children are prepared for the digital age. The 2011 edition of State of K-12 Cyberethics, Cybersafety and Cybersecurity Curriculum in the U.S. Survey , previously published by NCSA in 2008 and 2010, found contention among school leaders regarding whether online safety, security and ethics should even be taught as part of a district curriculum. Only 55 percent of teachers strongly agree that cybersecurity, cybersafety and cyberethics should be taught in schools as part of the curriculum, while more than 82 percent of administrators and 85 percent of IT specialists share those same strong feelings.