South Australia will become the first state in the nation to roll out a media literacy program in all primary schools in a bid to instruct children how to distinguish fact from fiction in the online world.
The State Government has committed $2.6 million over four years to make the Newshounds program available in all public, independent and Catholic primary schools.
The program is designed to equip young learners in years 3-6 with “critical thinking skills to stop, think and check before believing everything they see, read or hear”.
“With misinformation rife on the internet, we now live in an age where media literacy is an essential life skill,” said SA Premier, Peter Malinauskas.
“It has become just as important to teach children how to spot dangerous disinformation online as it is to teach them to read and write.
“That’s why we are funding this media literacy program to roll out in all our primary schools.
“While their parents grew up consuming news from trustworthy mainstream news sources, young people are increasingly exposed to a raft of untrustworthy sources spreading harmful misinformation online.
“Right across the Western world we are seeing the rise of populism and spread of disinformation and it’s never been more important to give our kids the tools they need to think critically and separate fact from fiction.”
The Government has also introduced nation-leading curriculum reforms to safeguard the future of democracy by educating young people about civics and citizenship in an increasingly polarised, digital world.
The Newshounds program is a curriculum-aligned, plug-and-play classroom resource delivered across nine sessions with an accompanying student workbook and teacher manual.
Students listen to a series of podcasts, complete activities and learn to recognise disinformation and misinformation and understand the risks of AI on platforms they are increasingly exposed to – equipping them with the tools they need to consume online news critically.
“Teaching our youngest learners to spot misinformation they increasingly face online is an important measure to help them navigate the fast-evolving digital world,” said Education Minister, Lucy Hood.
“More information than ever is coming at our students from sources that require a critical lens, highlighting the power of media literacy to separate fact from fiction.
“Our Government is proud to open up this program to every primary school student in the state and we will continue to look at innovative ways to support children to combat dodgy disinformation.”
Launched in November 2023 by Squiz Media with the help of a Google News Initiative grant, Newshounds is used in more than 5,000 classrooms nationally – including 180 South Australian primary schools in metropolitan and regional areas.
“In a digital age, learning to think critically about what they see online is just as important a life skill for primary school kids as reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Newshounds and Squiz Kids Director and Founder, Bryce Corbett.
“The South Australian government has been the first to recognise this, and we’re delighted to be partnering with them in this world-first educational initiative.
“Premier Malinauskas and his government were the first in Australia to call for a social media ban for under 16s.
“Now they’ve become nation leaders again recognising that a ban will only ever be as effective as the education that precedes it.”
The State Government’s new funding commitment means the program can now be rolled out to all 434 SA primary schools from Term 4.
“Here at Prospect Primary School our students have been involved with the Newshounds program since it first started,” said Prospect Primary School Principal, Rebecca Pears.
“This program helps students develop the crucial skills needed to become critical consumers of media, including media literacy skills such as identifying reliable information, recognising bias, and evaluating media sources.
“We have found it has also strengthened their digital citizenship, enabling students to safely navigate misinformation and make informed decisions in their daily lives.”
Video material and more information on the Newshounds program can be found here.
