The DfE announced last week that computer science has been added to the list of science subjects that count towards the EBacc. This has been widely welcomed, albeit with some extravagant hype about Alan Turing's legacy. Here's a flavour ...
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
We need to bring computational thinking into our schools. Having Computer Science in the EBacc will have a big impact on schools over the next decade. It will mean millions of children learning to write computer code so they are active creators and controllers of technology instead of just being passive users. It will be great for education, great for the economy, and will help restore the spirit of Alan Turing and make Britain a world leader again.
Ian Livingstone, Life President Eidos, and Chair of Next Gen Skills, said:
Computer science becoming the fourth science on the English Baccalaureate is likely to be transformational for this country. Enabling children to become digital makers as well as digital users is like them learning to write as well as read. From problem solving to writing code, computer science will help ensure that this country produces a new generation of digital makers, not just for the games industry, but for all creative and digital industries, and help drive the economy.
A Google spokesperson said:
This has been a good week for computer science education in the UK. Yesterday we were pleased to be able to make a donation of 15,000 Raspberry Pi’s to school pupils in the UK. Today's announcement that computer science will be part of the EBacc marks a significant further investment in the next generation of British computer scientists.
Responding to Google’s announcement yesterday about supporting free Raspberry Pis in schools, Education Secretary Michael Gove said:
It is great news that Google is helping the brilliant Raspberry Pi project. We are replacing the old-fashioned ICT curriculum with a computer science curriculum. This will combine with the Raspberry Pi project to spread teaching of computer coding which is so educationally and economically vital.
Well, I'm enthused by this (overdue) change to computer science, and there doesn't seem much to be said against it. However, it must be tough for those progressives who support the shift, but who abhor the whole idea of the EBacc. Almost as tricky as for the benighted folk who can see the benefits of a particular GMO whilst knowing that it must be (by definition) morally degenerate. Jeez! Expect shares in eau-de-cologne to be rising fast.
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