Kids to learn to build apps in school computing reboot
The UK government is rebooting the current IT curriculum to teach schoolkids how to code and build apps, as of September.
School's out for computing in class. The government is rebooting the curriculum of information and communications technology to teach schoolkids how to build apps, among other things.
A new ICT curriculum will be introduced in September. Universities and the UK gaming and technology industries have called for an overhaul to the teaching of computing and technology in schools, with Google, Sony and Microsoft adding their weight to the campaign.
Education secretary Michael Gove called the current ICT curriculum "harmful and dull". He announced the pans today, saying, "Instead of children bored out of their minds being taught how to use Word or Excel by bored teachers, we could have 11-year-olds able to write simple 2D computer animations."
The new curriculum could see 16-year-olds taught how to create apps for smart phones and tablets, and 18-year-olds learning to code.
Teachers are concerned there aren't enough qualified computer-science teachers to offer such an advanced curriculum at the moment, and teachers who aren't specialised in the subject may not be able to tackle lessons without significant extra support.
It seems bizarre that computing could be anything but an exciting and compelling subject: sure, we're massive geeks, but these days computers and technology have permeated every aspect of our lives. Why, programmers are the new rock stars! Er, kind of. And as exciting as the future is, let's not forget the fascinating history of computing.
Is it about time ICT was turned off and on again, or is Word and Excel all the workers of tomorrow will ever need? Teach us a lesson in the comments or on our Facebook page.