BCS invests in computer science teacher training
Plans for computer science teachers in every school
Michael Gove’s new scholarship scheme, which aims to source computer science teachers, has prompted the Chartered Institute for IT to hunt for its own as part of the initiative.
Scholarships, BCS says, will be worth £20,000 for people in the initial teacher training course, with that funding provided by the Department for Education. There will be roughly 50 scholarships per year, with the institute also planning to approach schools, universities, and top employers about mentoring and development.
It is hoped the scheme will be part of a larger focus to train computer science teachers nationwide.
Michael Gove added that computer science is “vital” to “our success in the global race”. He then proceeded to credit Sir Tim Berners-Lee as the sole creator of the internet, suggesting he could do well from a bit of schooling himself.
Dr Bill Mitchell, director of BCS Academy of Computing, said that the organisation’s vision is for every secondary school to have outstanding computer science teachers. “We want to ensure students have an intellectually rigorous, inspiring, and excellent computer science education that equips them for progression into further education and a professional career,” he said.
This scheme comes shortly after the launch of a Network of Teaching Excellence, a joint programme between Computing At School and BCS. More than 500 schools and 17 universities have shown interest, according to BCS, and has also received a £150,000 grant from DfE as well as support from Microsoft and Google.