• Use ICT to find, select and bring together relevant information
• Develop, interpret and exchange information for a purpose
• Apply ICT safely to enhance their learning and the quality of their work.

The above argument focuses exclusively on the teaching of language, maths and computer skills, but all subjects can support the adoption of functional skills. After all, the skills or competencies described here – thinking, deep understanding, creativity, capability/skill, etc. – are things we strive for when we ask our students to move beyond simple comprehension and engage in higher order thinking skills. The trick, however, is to demonstrate that our subject is relevant and should not be seen as content or skills to learn in isolation.

History teachers, for example, know that they need to develop students so that they move from simply remembering dates and sequences to being critical commentators of the past. They want the senior students to be able to construct an argument from the facts. Where do we do this in the real world? Every time we pick up a newspaper and argue with our colleagues about the latest political issue we deploys the same skills our history teachers are trying to instill.