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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-10-28 Daily Xml
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Digital Literacy

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills. Can the minister please update the house on how the Malinauskas Labor government is developing the digital skills South Australians need for work and life, and is he aware of any alternative views?

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Minister for Police) (14:38): I thank the member for Elder for her very pertinent question today and for her interest in digital literacy as well. We know in this day and age how important digital literacy is, including in the jobs we do in this place as well—very, very important. In fact, some of the information that I have seen not just as the Minister for Education in this state but as the Minister for Skills and Training includes some very recent information regarding what the cost is in terms of those who have low levels of literacy, numeracy and digital literacy.

In fact, a recent survey by the Australian Industry Group revealed nearly 90 per cent of Australian businesses are suffering productivity issues due to low levels of literacy, but including now digital literacy as well. Our state is not immune from that. I would say that possibly our profession in this place is not immune from that as well. But the good news in terms of South Australia is that we have invested heavily in adult community education. In fact, I joined the members for Elder, Gibson and Boothby recently at MarionLIFE, one of our fantastic adult community education (ACE) providers, where we announced that we were putting more money into adult community education and specifically around digital literacy.

One of the things that MarionLIFE told the members for Gibson and Elder and me was that they were seeing more and more people coming in seeking advice on how to use tricky things like social media, particularly Instagram, and other things like that, which can be pitfalls for many of us. What I can say in terms of those alternative views that the member for Elder asked about is that the previous Minister for Skills, the member for Unley, actually cut $1 million from adult community education. It is an amazing thing for a skills minister to cut money during a skills crisis for adult community education.

I can see the faces here. They don't believe it either. It happened. It actually happened. It's an incredible thing. I think we are seeing the ramifications of decisions like that in this place and potentially from those on the other side of this chamber as well. What I can say to the house, very proudly though, is that one of the first things this government did—and I think I was actually joined by the Minister for Human Services at this stand-up—was announce that we were putting that $1 million that was cut from adult community education back in. Not only that but we have boosted it because we know that during a skills crisis, if we are going to be successful in supporting South Australians into those jobs that we know are there now, then some of it starts with the absolute basics around literacy and numeracy, and digital literacy too. That is why this is a focus of this government.

Most importantly, of course, what we know in this place, and members on that side of the chamber as well, is that can't just be provided at places like MarionLIFE. It needs to be in regional South Australia as well, where often access to these kinds of things can be much more difficult.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. B.I. BOYER: The Leader of Government Business raises the Riverland. I can advise that there are some wonderful providers of adult community education in the Riverland, both in Berri and Waikerie, where digital literacy education has been funded through this government's recent addition to funding for adult community education, which I think is a fantastic thing. So should there be perhaps some people in this place who may reside in regional South Australia, who want a bit of help perhaps with the buttons to push and the buttons not to push, I say, 'We are supporting you. That money and that support is there.' What we stand for on this side of the chamber is a bit less adult entertainment and a bit more adult education.

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