Aussie students rank 2nd in digital skills

Australian high school students are among the best in the world when it comes to digital reading skills, a new international report has found.

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development report ranked 15-year-old Australian students equal second with New Zealand but behind Korea in a list of 20 nations.

Federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett said Australian teenagers were among the best educated in the new digital world.

"The tests are similar to traditional literacy tests but use screens instead of pen and paper," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

They measured the ability of students to navigate to information, read breakout boxes and charts online, and understand and evaluate on-screen information.

The report is based on tests in a computer-based assessment of reading.

Mr Garrett said high-level digital comprehension now was a vital life skill.

"It's great to see Australian kids are world-beaters in the digital arena," he said.

"Importantly, the report also shows that the link between higher socio-economic background and performance was not as strong as in other countries."

That finding made Australia one of the most equitable countries for digital reading skills, Mr Garrett said.

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