back to article Australia proposes teaching cyber-security to five-year-old kids

Australia has decided that six-year-old children need education on cyber-security, even as it removes other material from the national curriculum. A newly revised draft of the national curriculum for children aged five to sixteen, launched yesterday, added a new strand titled “Considering privacy and security” that “involves …

  1. Diogenes

    Nuke it from Orbit

    The proposed draft for the Digital Technologies for years 7 & 8 (compulsory) seems determined to stifle any interest kids might have in choosing it as an elective in years 9 & 10. By the time year 10 rolls around, any love for computing in general, and coding, in particular, will have been beaten out of them. There is no senior Nat Curric for Technology, a draft of which has existed since 2017 according to an acquaintance who helped write it, but never released.

  2. Denarius Silver badge

    natch Diogenes

    we can always import better, smarter techs from overseas. Been doing it since colonial times. And our snowflake bureaucrats love importing ideas that don't work. I am sure China has some skilled people to send us. I take it that English and maths skills were the units removed so there was room for more whining grievance social issues studies ?

  3. Mike 137 Silver badge

    None of this is cyber security

    The proposed content is no more than basic personal privacy management with a little bit of common sense thrown in. To call it "cyber security" is misleading and inflationist, and could lead to the emergence of a Dunning Kruger population who think they understand security but don't. Alternatively, it could result in nothing at all as the lessons run off the duck's back like water, just as most school lessons seem to.

    Real cyber security is a mix of serious technical expertise with even more serious management capability. Teaching this to primary school kids would be an insuperable challenge - it's hard enough to impart to adults, as the torrent of data breaches continuously demonstrates.

    1. Plest Silver badge

      Re: None of this is cyber security

      You obvioulsy do not have any teenagers! Every kid over 15 thinks they're an expert on everything, that usually lasts until they get jobs 18 or 24 ( if oging to Uni ) and realise they're fricking experts on almost nothing!

      We show kids how to drive cars by playing with toy cars with simple games, most manage to stifle the inner know-it-all long enough to take tuition, do the official gov driving tests, get a license and most manage to avoid killing themselves once out ont he road on their own.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: None of this is cyber security

        It ain't a mystery religion Plest. A lot of 'experts' I've met through various employments / contracts, they are very protective of their knowledge, almost as if they had paid a lot of money for it and feel their worth would wane if The-Knowledge "got out"

        https://tenor.com/baelO.gif

    2. martyn.hare
      Flame

      Most adults know

      They just don't care after being ground down by suits who (also clearly know.. but..) don't care about anything but extracting as much money as possible.

      We all know it's true. Flame on.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: None of this is cyber security

      Did they mention also they're using Ai and quantum computers to do all this?

      Sorry, couldn't think of any other buzzwords currently doing the rounds on the talking heads show

      Straylia!

  4. 0laf Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Might be better to teach the parents something about not letting 5yrs old loose on the internet without supervision

  5. Twanky
    Flame

    Good in parts

    The idea of 8 year olds telling parents how to do things with technology is not new. A pity parents won't listen.

    However, getting *anyone* (other than Reg readers, of course) to understand that having information about someone else is a privileged responsibility which should be carefully considered is seen as paranoid.

    If you're entrusted with someone's secret you have been given a serious responsibility (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39241467). It used to be thought that the local 'gossip' was not to be trusted but was good for a laugh. Oh how we laughed.

    How the hell did a whole worldwide industry grow up out of listening to and collating gossip?

  6. Winkypop Silver badge

    Online security and privacy 101

    OK kids

    No social media

    Class dismissed!

    1. Twanky

      Re: Online security and privacy 101

      Well, yes. If the kids can't be bothered to use it as safely as possible then better to teach them how to do without it.

      At the moment that's probably pissing into the wind but we've got to start somewhere, haven't we? It's either that or just surrender to the machine's mercy - and it hasn't got any.

  7. batfink

    What?

    "responding respectfully to other people’s opinions even if they are different from personal opinions"? What? I'm not supposed to tell people to fuck off because they don't agree with me and are therefore obviously wrong? Unheard of.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hope

    I hope they can remember they are talking to 5 year olds. People that have no real concept of economy, abuse, being lied to/taken advantage of. Most of anything they say will be glossed over. Maybe if we reduced the cost of living so parents could spend more time with their children they wouldn't be so - lacking parental advice/experience/compassion.

  9. Version 1.0 Silver badge
    Happy

    Let's do social distancing

    Reset the Internet access speed to 110 baud - that would stop a lot of cyber-hacking efforts.

  10. Dr Paul Taylor

    #1 lesson

    Teach them never to answer "security questions" on an incoming call.

    Better, make it a criminal offence to phone someone and ask "security questions".

  11. LovesTha

    Are teachers going to stop sharing this *private* information with the whole class?

    When are people going to stop pretending date of birth is a secret?

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