A HOLMES Chapel schoolboy has been chosen as one of eight students from across the country to sit on the UK’s first Digital Youth Council.

Max Rottier, 15, has joined a panel of tech-savvy learners specially selected by the council’s founder Virgin Media Business.

The group will meet with leaders in technology education to share their experiences and help shape the debate on how technology can be used to enhance their lessons.

Holmes Chapel Comprehensive student Max said: “I applied to the Digital Youth Council because I am a passionate user of ICT and always full of new initiatives. I used these to get work experience at a leading digital brand development agency in Manchester this year and I have also had some work experience with the BBC.

“I am looking forward to the first council meeting and being able to collaborate with like-minded people to motivate and help learners improve their education with technology.”

The Digital Youth Council is part of ‘Generation Tech’ – a wider ‘state-of-the-nation’ review into the way technology is used in education.

Led by Richard Branson, the campaign gives teachers and students the opportunity to have their say on the ongoing impact technology is having on the education of students and what the future holds.

The campaign has piqued the interest of key influencers in the world of technology in schools, including Shadow Secretary of State for Education Tristram Hunt.

Denis Oliver, headteacher of Holmes Chapel Comprehensive, said: “I am pleased to see an initiative that gives young people a voice on how technology is used in education. I am delighted Max will be able to represent their views and hopefully influence the development of a curriculum for the 21st Century.

“There is no doubt that we must embrace technology at every step as we educate the next generation. Digital literacy skills are a prerequisite of effective learning in an increasingly technological world. Therefore, the curriculum must adapt to ensure that these new skills are embedded to give British students the ability to work at the very forefront of technological change.”