61% students think that schools don't teach enough digital skills: survey

Mumbai: As many as 61% of students around the world believe that they were studying too little or not at all about digital skills such as computing and coding, according to a survey conducted by UNICEF and NetAPP, a software company.

The survey further stated that around 5000 Indian students, who made up the second largest respondent group for the survey, believed that they actually were studying a variety of digital skills.

When pupils around the globe were asked what they thought the goal of school should be, 48% said it should be to teach them practical skills for the real world.

While being prepared for jobs and the future was at the top of the list, 44% of respondents wanted to learn more about how to care for their mental health and welfare.

When asked how to improve education, the most popular global topic was practical skill attainment (33%), followed by being more informed on major problems (21%). Almost 20% mentioned modifying how they learn, such as eliminating exam pressure or giving pupils more individual choices.

The survey was conducted after receiving 37,000 responses from young people in over 150 countries, including India, with many sharing their perspectives for the first time.