IT-related
A-levels turn students off the profession and need to be
revamped, according to Karen Price, chief executive of the
public-private training partnership
E-Skills UK.
Numbers taking computing and ICT fell by 10% and 6% respectively
in 2007 compared with 2006. The number of pupils taking
GCSE ICT also fell by 9%. The number of students taking either
qualification has been falling for some time.
Price said there is a strong case for "making the curriculum
more relevant", saying, "In some ways it is a worrying decline. It
is a strong indicator that young people are still not finding the
subject interesting or attractive.
"It is worrying in terms of attitude and aspirations of young
people and in terms of the relevance of the subject."
She said that young people who attend employer-led workshops
showing the reality of life in an IT career are often surprised at
how interesting it could be.
She said, "There is an amazing mismatch between young people who
think technology is quite exciting in terms of what they use in
their day-to-day lives, and yet who find the subject as studied at
school very boring, so think working in IT would be boring.
"I am not sure about the content of the A-level and how well
mapped out it is to the requirements of the profession."
The
new diploma in IT for 14- to 19-year-olds will be available
from September 2008, and Price said she hopes a new approach to
teaching IT will attract more students."The primary focus of the
diploma is on technology in the context of business, and the
transformational power of IT.
"It will teach people about technology in a way that makes them
see how important it is in their lives. We are hoping it will turn
a lot of people on to the subject."