Meeting of the Parliament 25 January 2024
There is a challenge for us all; I do not think that is a partisan point. If we are to deliver on the challenges of demography, climate change and all the others that have been highlighted, we must apply technological innovation across our public sector.
My final point is that it is just not acceptable to talk about what needs to be done with technology without talking about digital exclusion. The economy and society depend on digital technology and that dependency will only grow. We can use technology to make improvements. The Blackwood housing association, in my constituency, uses technology to stay in touch with people living in its sheltered accommodation. It would be remiss to bring forward a broad motion about technology without addressing its vital social aspect.
There is much to celebrate and to focus on, but we must first acknowledge and be serious about the challenges or we simply will not meet them.
I move amendment S6M-11958.2, to insert at end:
“; notes the findings and recommendations of the Scottish technology ecosystem review, led by Mark Logan, including the findings that the number of computer studies teachers in Scotland is falling and that Scotland’s education system is not currently set up to support a thriving technology sector, and calls on the Scottish Government to act urgently to reverse this trend, reduce digital exclusion and make computer studies a growing and exciting subject area in Scottish schools.”
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