Under a curriculum shake-up in Scotland, children as young as three will be taught "cyber resilience" as part of everyday classroom learning, from pre-school through to secondary school, so that online safety becomes as instinctive as reading and writing. The move comes amid a sharp rise in cyber crime affecting young people, with government agency Education Scotland drafting new teaching materials aimed at building digital security awareness from the earliest years, though critics argue it risks normalising screen use for toddlers at the expense of basic literacy skills.

Police Scotland figures show cyber offences have doubled since 2019/20, reaching 14,200 in 2025/26, including around 1,420 with a sexual element targeting under-18s and 7,140 cases of cyber fraud. Younger pupils will learn concepts such as strong passwords and spotting "phishing" through games and stories, including a new book, Cy Bear at School, aimed at four- to seven-year-olds, while older pupils receive more technical instruction; sample materials are due for teacher feedback from January 2027 ahead of full rollout in August 2028. Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education criticised the plan, saying reading standards are already declining due to excessive digital exposure and that such lessons should wait until secondary school.