A NEWPORT school has been praised by education secretary Kirsty Williams for its part in developing a way for digital skills to be used in the curriculum in Wales.

St Julians primary school has a role as a Digital Pioneer School, and has worked to develop a Digital Competence Framework (DCF).

“Pioneer schools such as St Julians are essential to the success of the Digital Competence Framework and the wider new curriculum, and I want to thank everyone for their hard work,” said Ms Williams during a visit to the school.

“This radical new approach is about embedding digital skills and knowledge in everything our pupils do as they progress through school.

“No longer will such issues be isolated in weekly computer classes - instead these vital skills will be applied across our curriculum.

“They’re now as crucial to our pupils’ development as learning to read and write. This is a key part of our move to create a curriculum fit for now and for the future, and not the late 20th century.”

The Welsh Government’s Digital Competence Framework is now available to all schools and follows two independent reviews that recommended changes.

“The entire purpose of the Digital Competence Framework is to equip our learners in Wales with the necessary skills and understanding they will need not only to thrive but to survive in the increasingly digital world in which they are growing up,” said Luke Mansfield, deputy head at St Julians primary.

“Being able to effectively use technology to communicate, collaborate, produce and handle data are important life skills and will significantly increase employment opportunities.

“More importantly, it is crucial for pupils to have a good understanding of potential risks involved with using technology and the effects it can have on their health.

“The entire first strand of the DCF aims to help children understand the importance of limiting screen time, knowing how to protect themselves from cyber-bullying or identity theft, and being able to evaluate the reliability of online information.

“With our pupils being immersed in this digital world at such a young age and technology developing at such a rapid rate, all of these skills are vital and schools, parents and the media must work together to educate pupils and raise awareness of these issues.”

Ms Williams also visited the city’s Lliswerry High School to see how the school is helping an ethnically diverse range of pupils.

Lliswerry has pupils from eastern Europe, and with Welsh Government funding has employed a Roma Heritage Link person, to help develop a strong relationship with the Roma community.