Experts from Trinity College in Dublin and Google have called for changes to be made to the education system to increase the number of people with digital skills.

The call comes as a survey found that up to two thirds of schools do not have enough of the technology necessary to have an impact on their students’ education.

The report recommends investment and structural changes in schools, including the introduction of computer science as a Leaving Cert subject and increased teacher training.

Two years ago Google pledged €1.5m to a new programme run by Trinity College Dublin which trains teachers to teach computer science and related topics through collaborative learning.

With one year complete, Trinity academics surveyed 400 teachers and 800 students who participated in the project.

They found the learning of computer science, as well as subjects such as science, technology, engineering and maths, is being hampered due to a lack of resources.

60% of schools had little access to the technology needed to make an impact, with some schools saying they had no wifi or internet access.

Teachers also said class times were too short for necessary collaborative work and that there was too much pressure to teach towards tests.

The report recommends investment and structural changes in schools, including the introduction of computer science as a Leaving Cert subject and increased teacher training.

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