IT: Digital Coalition Launches 15th Annual Digital Skills Testing

Bratislava, 19 March (TASR) - The Digital Coalition on Thursday launched the 15th annual testing of the digital skills of primary and secondary school students and their teachers in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, Digital Coalition chairman Mario Lelovsky, Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) and Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation Minister Samuel Migaa (Independent) told a news conference on the same day, adding that the free IT Fitness Test is also available to the general public. "One million participants have taken part in this testing so far, making it the most extensive digital skills testing far and wide," stated Lelovsky, noting that the testing has been expanded abroad for the fifth year now. The tests are divided into two levels and several areas, including internet use and security, office tools and social media, IT basics, problem-solving and data literacy. The education minister pointed out that Slovakia is among the countries where young people achieve a higher level of digital skills than in neighbouring states. "In today's era and age of artificial intelligence (AI), it is a must for young people to have these skills and abilities," stressed Drucker. According to him, the Education Ministry also places great emphasis on improving critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The investment minister believes that this testing will be expanded to other countries in the future as well. "We can teach children in a technical manner to work with social networks and AI tools that help them learn. But first and foremost, we must teach them to think critically so that they can properly evaluate the true information they receive from digital sources," stressed Migal, adding that this isn't only the role of teachers, but also of parents. The IT Fitness Test project was created with the ambition to support the development of digital literacy and to show how important these skills are for studies, the jobs market and everyday life. Its main goal is to provide an objective picture of the level of digital skills. The test is available online. ko/df