Twitter and social media to be taught at UK primary schools (and makes the front page of a national newspaper!)

Children across the UK will be required to learn the ins and outs of a number of various social media platforms as part of draft plans proposed for the national curriculum.

According to the Guardian newspaper, who placed the story onto the front page of their daily national newspaper (a first for Twitter in the UK I believe):

Children will be required to become familiar with blogging, podcasts, wikipedia as sourced of information and forms of communication. They must gain “fluency” in handwriting and keyboard skills, and learn how to use a spellchecker alongside how to spell.

The changes, to be finalised next month, have been proposed by Sir Jim Rose, who has been appointed to specifically give the primary school curriculum a refresh.

Schools Minister Jim Knight attempted to tame the story saying:

“Sir Jim Rose’s report has not been completed let alone published yet – but we are already getting stories about dropping this or removing that from the curriculum.”

Ministers will formally respond to Sir Rose’s proposals when they are published next month.