Senate bill promotes digital literacy in Puerto Rico schools
The Puerto Rico Senate is weighing legislation that would make media and digital literacy a core part of the public school curriculum, aiming to prepare students to recognize misinformation, online manipulation and artificial intelligence in an increasingly digital world.
Filed by Sen. Brenda Pérez-Soto, Senate Bill 820, known as the Puerto Rico Media and Digital Literacy Act, seeks to ensure that every student in the island’s public education system develops critical thinking skills, technological awareness and ethical practices in the use of information.
“The expansion of digital media and artificial intelligence has radically transformed the way society accesses, produces and shares information,” the bill states. “In this environment of immediacy and virality, citizens face a constant flow of false or manipulated information that compromises the collective capacity to make informed decisions and participate responsibly in democratic life.”
The measure cites misinformation during Hurricane María, the earthquakes that struck the island’s southeast and the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of the need to build public trust and civic responsibility through education. It also references models in California, Finland, Sweden and Canada, which have integrated media literacy into early education.
Under the proposal, the Department of Education would have two academic years to incorporate digital literacy into all grade levels, with an emphasis on Spanish, social studies, science and mathematics.
Proposed learning areas include evaluating sources, identifying misinformation and deepfakes, understanding algorithms and AI, fact-checking, creating responsible digital content and protecting privacy and intellectual property.
“The government of Puerto Rico declares the systematic integration of media and digital literacy as a cross-curricular and permanent component of the public education system’s curriculum as a priority public policy,” the measure reads.
The bill also calls for a teacher training program developed with universities and technology experts to keep educators current on digital tools. Teachers would receive professional development credits through workshops, online modules and hands-on instruction.
To promote accountability, all new Education Department contracts with digital learning providers would have to include clauses guaranteeing algorithmic transparency, data protection and safeguards against misinformation. Providers would also be subject to independent audits and performance reporting.
The proposal encourages collaboration between the Education Department, the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service, universities and nonprofit organizations to create community workshops on digital literacy. It also directs the government to ensure equitable technology access in under-resourced schools.
Within a year of implementation, the Department of Education would report progress to the Legislative Assembly, outlining teacher participation, curricular integration and measurable results.
