Schools need coding lessons, Education Secretary claims
The campaign to revive computer science in UK schools appears to be on the cusp of triumph with Michael Gove, the most senior figure in the Department for Education, now publicly backing the bid.
The Education Secretary put an end to months of silence on the matter by explaining that ICT teaching is in need of reform and that more students should be taught to code.
“One of the problems we have had is the ICT curriculum in the past has been written for a subject that is changing rapidly all the time,” he said.
“I think what we should have is computer science in the future, and how it fits into the curriculum is something that we need to talk to scientists, to experts in coding and to young people about.”
The statement, Gove’s first on the matter, puts an end to speculation that he had not supported the call for computer science in schools.
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A skills review, published in February, made twenty recommendations to remedy the so-called ‘digital skills gap’ affecting UK games development studios. Many in the industry are concerned that young British students are not being taught enough of the right skills for the new digital age of jobs.
In its delayed response to the review, the Government last week pledged to work towards developing “an attractive computer science offering for schools”.
"The Government looks forward to working with [the games industry], educators and others to develop an attractive computer science offering for schools, so that students are able to develop the rigorous skills needed – not only to support these industries but also to ensure a digitally literate citizenry," read the response.
Games industry figurehead Ian Livingstone, who co-authored the skills review, has called on the government to take the furthest possible commitment and include computer science within the national curriculum.
Develop understands that Livingstone has been in further meetings with Michael Gove’s special advisor, Dominic Cummings, to discuss the matter and wider issues.
Gove's comments continue a roll of encouraging signs for those backing the revival of computer science in school.
In November, the Prime Minister admitted the government needed to be more aware of the digital skills that are needed across numerous tech indusrtries.
Several months prior, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, one of the most influential people in global technology, said he was shocked to discover computer science was no longer taught in schools.
Schools actually just need to re-evangelize the importance of subjects Pure Maths; including geometry, Decision Maths and Applied Maths/Physics. And find ways to incorporate mid-level programming languages to the subjects, as they are the corner stones for virtual all aspects of computer science use in the real world.
But instead I suspect some corporate deal has been struck in the old boy's network to teach kids how to use some high level Microsoft programming API like Visual basic to interact with Kinect to justify using the education budgets to buy it.
I very much doubt anyone will be doing the sensible thing of teaching C on linux(open source) to keep costs down for kids, that would allow any of them to use an old PC or laptop to learn.
It's not like they are going to be able to go anywhere with computer programming in the games industry without, as Eddie says, a good grip of physics / applied maths and maths papers look to be getting easier to me.
If they want to get the people they need to invest money, they want to reduce the cost of education in maths science and computing. This look like a damp squib to me by an incapable education minister. If they want to program for Kinnect Eddie they'll need to know c# xna. Don't knock it until you've tried it Eddie old pal :-)
rather than just shoving it in the school curriculum
It's gratifying that Gove has supported this, and stated that Scientists and Educators will be involved. Eddie (the first poster) is right that CompSci needs to be correctly housed in Maths/Physics but I'm less cynical than him, if more pessimistic. This Gov could royally mess this up without any conspIracy. Teaching must be supported with decent training and resources, and be founded upon first principles of Computer Science. And ICT shouldn't disappear, but rather be embedded in the entire curriculum; English, Art, etc all using Computers. This will cost! But with good will and good advice it doesn't have to cost too much, and HELL what an investment in ALL our futures!
@chris
I'm not knocking a camera that only captures at 30fps for motion; even though human action probably needs at least 120fps for interpolating two(three) images shot at a 1/60th of a second.
I was just making the point that this is likely a statement in response of a government deal to spend more of its budget on unnecessary equipment from corporations with vested interests schools remaining tied to their expensive technology, far more than giving people an education that might help the games industry see innovative startups like the 1980's boom with the Spectrum and C64.
I agree that teaching subjects like maths and physics is important, but I think it's important not to underestimate how much of a positive force computer science could be in getting kids interested in those subjects. Especially if the computer science curriculum was able to work in a little game development.
How many times have you heard someone say that algebra is useless? Maybe if kids could see interesting applications for the things they're being taught, they might become more interested in maths.
I teach Games modules in Media BTEC courses and the work we do on scripting in Game Maker and UDK is the first time many students have seen any coding. Some are interested full stop but many become interested because it will make their game work better.
In the same way, some students start appreciating the significance of maths in particular (coordinate systems, trigonometry) because they can see what it enables them to do in their game. Bryan's right - use the games to teach some of the maths and physics and then you've got something really exciting going on.
@Byran
@Simon
I don't disagree with the idea of using computer science as a carrot to help the teaching, but only if the correct order of learning is unimpeded, and the strong foundations are mastered first to accelerate the learning curve as intended; for those that are actually capable.
I also think all educators have a responsibility to teach all pupils that anything worth achieving, will ultimately be difficult, and adjusting syllabuses too much in a way that undermines that harsh reality of life isn't a good long term teaching strategy imo.
@Eddie
I don't know that learning c# is going to be that much of a bad discipline. I learned to program in BBC basic, I then moved onto Amos for Amiga and onto c and devpac and I hated PCs and MS for years but they aren't going to be replaced fast.
While I was at college I had to program Pascal it was not OO, it wasn't visual it wasn't even fast. C# isn't a bad choice to start and get them interested quickly. Though I hope they offer the Dave Brabben raspberry pi option. But I don't know whether it's more relevant or less to what they are likely to end up doing.
I think the likelihood is though that Gove will screw it because he's incapable and doesn't really understand IT or anything IMHO
All areas of game development should benefit. Not only should computer programming taught, but art and animation too! Give an insight for the kids whole already have imagination. This could be opened to all disciplines.
I remember I wanted to go into multimedia and speaking to my career advisor about it. I got recommended art computing and maths. But I'd have loved to do a more direct course. Nothing available at the time
There are lots of new ideas of exactly what the new areas of the curriculum should contain, but I think they are all missing something important, that they need to stick to the basics. C would be too hard for kids. The actual language isnt really that important, so long as its easy, and there are various "easy" langauges in which they can learn the basics.
As for ICT, it should be renamed "Microsoft Office Studies" because thats pretty much what it is. There is no need for a dedicated course solely in MS office, these kind of things should be integrated into the subjects in which they are useful. Use a spreadsheet in math and science classes, use a word processor in english lit, etc. I wish I could recomment open office instead, except that its a pile of junk. I've used it for many years because its free of charge, but I've always found it inferior to MS office in every way except the licence and cost.
Ironically you could learn computer programming at school in the 80s, I remember looking forward to it, but while I was there they replaced it with BS (thats business studies but theys the other acronim applies). BS then became ICT.
