The next generation ofprogrammersare being
held back by a lack ofrelevant coursesin schools, according
to a Liberal Democrat MP.
MP for Southport John Pugh said school syllabuses did not
encourage pupils to get involved in higher-level IT skills, such as
programming.
"The education system seems to be putting a high emphasis on the
ability to work at a low level with well-known applications," he
said. "Years ago, IT syllabuses in schools used to be full of
sophisticated educational schemes, including programming."
Pugh said the focus on well-known applications was a good thing,
in that computer skills gain prominence, but it holds back British
innovation. "We want to develop the people who will create the
applications of the future," he said.
"In India and China they are doing far more challenging work
inside and outside schools. I would like more programmers coming
from the UK, rather than
India and China.
"To have a classroom of people who can do a Powerpoint
presentation does not convince me that the future of British
software engineering is safe. We cannot afford to have a nation of
people who are allegedly IT proficient, but actually only have
simple know-how in Microsoft applications."
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority said GCSEs and
A-levels were designed to encourage students to become "discerning
users of ICT with an appreciation of the range of systems and their
applications, as well as their capabilities and limitations".
A spokesperson said, "These are general qualifications and they
are not intended primarily to train students in the use of specific
hardware, software or programming languages, but to understand the
principles on which they are all based. However, A-level computing
courses do contain a significant focus on programming and the
understanding of hardware.
"There is also a wide range of vocational qualifications
available to young people who want to develop more specific skills
for a career in ICT. These can be offered through Modern
Apprenticeship programmes and other employer-led training
programmes.
"Specific technical skills, such as programming, or in-depth
training on proprietary software products, may form a part of such
programmes, depending on the specific needs of the learners and
employers involved."