Channel set to benefit from UK government’s ICT programme

Channel News

National teaching scheme attracts interest from 500 schools

The BCS, chartered institute for IT, has backed the Department for Education’s plans to disapply ICT study programmes for secondary schools as early as September. It is certainly good news for the channel.

BCS’ Academy of Computing director, Bill Mitchell, said that the institute is “delighted” that the Department has confirmed which schools will be able to teach computer science. “We believe it is of paramount importance that every child has the chance to study computer science from primary school onwards,” Mitchell said.

The decision follows calls from a long list of campaigners seeking computer sciences and ICT in schools, including Google boss Eric Schmidt. They will be somewhat appeased that from 2014, ICT will become a compulsory subject in a new national curriculum.

BCS is encouraging schools to join up through its network of teaching excellence in computer science. It says 500 schools and 15 universities have expressed interest in signing up already. The scheme starts in autumn.

It is good news for Britain’s education system and the next generation of programmers – as anyone following the fanfare around the Raspberry PI will have heard. But it’s not just parents who should express optimistic skepticism. There will be plenty of opportunity for resellers too.

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