Calling All Schools: Time To Teach Code – Part III

Learning to write computer code is one of the best ways for students to prepare for life in the new economy. The digital economy is already creating more jobs than there are people available to fill them. The gap is widening and people who can write computer code will be the winners of the future.

At some point, the recession will end and the economy will grow but unlike previous recoveries this one will disproportionately benefit those with the right skills.

One essential skill is the ability to write code, as it enables people to play an active part in the digital economy and benefit from its opportunities.

The challenge is that so few of us can code and that coding skills are not taught in our schools, whereas, they should be taught with the same focus as the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.

Teaching students how to code will prepare them for the digital economy: an economy that is creating jobs and wealth and opportunities for those who embrace it.

The digital economy is just getting started and will grow from its current level of touching a small percentage of the world’s population to affect most people on the planet over the next 10 to 20 years.

Learning how to code will enable students to leave schools, colleges and universities able to take part in the jobs and careers of the new economy.

Regardless of students particular areas of interest the ability to write code is beneficial, as computers continue to change the world.

Schools highlight the need to teach literacy and in the digital world the ability to read and write code is the new literacy, as students need to learn code as a basis language of the new economy.

In the absence of action from schools a voluntary movement called CoderDojo has spread to 27 countries focussed on teaching children to code. On Saturday last, a local entrepreneur, Barry McGillin, showed great enterprise and held the first CoderDojo in Omagh, at which 45 children attended.

The need to teach children to code is currently met by individual entrepreneurs on a voluntary basis, whereas, our schools should embrace the teaching of code as part of the curriculum.

SO, a century ago people had a choice to learn to read and write or get left behind; a similar choice faces us today in relation to teaching children to read and write code.

What do you think? Can you code? Can your children code?

Get in touch, we would love to hear your views contact Nick on 028 8224 9494 or via Twitter @nick_oec.