The Government has angered some by promising to “reform” the way computer science and ICT are taught in schools, but have so far been short on the details of how that would happen.
The Government was prompted into action following a report into the skills required to support the gaming industry, in which there was a call made to improve the way students are taught computing subject.
The highest criticism was towards the ICT classes, which have traditionally been teaching how to use applications, rather than how to create them.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in response to the Next Gen Skills report, said:
“…teaching of ICT and computer science in schools needs reform to better reflect the changing role of technology and the need to engage to computer scientists of the future… The Government recognises that learning the skills to use ICT effectively and acquiring the knowledge of the underpinnning computer science are two different (albeit complementary) subjects”.
