Young people today are growing up in a digital world, making it essential for them to develop digital literacy through education. This competence is key to preparing them for life and work in a digital society. Digitalisation in education goes beyond technological upgrades—it represents a fundamental transformation of the learning process. Digital tools and services, including artificial intelligence, enhance the clarity of content delivery, support collaborative learning, enable progress tracking, and allow for differentiated and individualised instruction. They also help reduce educational inequalities by providing access to resources for all students.

Digital technologies enhance teaching quality and foster 21st-century skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and media and information literacy. Digital literacy encompasses the ability to search for, utilise, and create information online in a meaningful and safe manner. It is not only about using digital tools but also about understanding their limitations and potential risks. Therefore, digital literacy includes preventive measures for safe and responsible technology use.

To navigate the digital world effectively—whether for communication, learning, work, or leisure—students need a broad set of skills and knowledge. Digital citizenship education supports this by helping young people develop the values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for active, responsible, and conscious participation in society.

Educators play a vital role in this process. They must adopt new teaching methods and continuously update their digital competencies. Encouraging professional development, peer collaboration, and the sharing of best practices is essential. Moreover, digital education requires the involvement of various stakeholders, including parents, local communities, businesses, and higher education institutions.

Digital literacy in schools is essential for equipping students to navigate the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities of the digital age. It also contributes to a more inclusive and high-quality education system. Recognising this, Slovenia has launched a comprehensive curricular reform. This reform introduces common goals across subjects, including digital competence, alongside language, citizenship, culture and arts, sustainable development, health and well-being, and entrepreneurship.

Digital citizenship builds on digital literacy by focusing on the ethical and social dimensions of technology use. It involves responsible, ethical, and conscious engagement in digital environments. Key competencies include media and information literacy, online safety, privacy awareness, and active, inclusive participation in digital communities. Developing students’ digital competence is a prerequisite for becoming responsible digital citizens.

In Slovenian schools, this means integrating digital literacy and civic education into the curriculum, promoting critical thinking, creating digital content, problem solving, safe internet use, and ethical, inclusive technology practices. The presentation will highlight various strategies for fostering digital citizenship in the educational process.

Keywords: Digital Literacy, Digital Citizenship, Digital Technologies in Education, 21st Century Competencies, The Role of Educators in Digital Transformation.