NationStates

Should we teach school children how to code? I think that yes, yes we should. Coding is the future. As many more jobs are automated, we will always need coders to maintain these machines. Further, new jobs, such as app developers, are always springing up, jobs that didn't even exist 20 years ago. Therefore, imagine 20 years from now which hobs will exist that will require coding. Further, people who enter into traditional industries such as baking, medicine, etc. Will pobably need to learb to code to develop their own websites and apps. Besides, the benefits of learning coding go beyond employment. A school's primary goal is education, not emoyment. Coding teaches kids creativity and problem solving, both of which are very important. I think that coding should be compulsory from Kindergarden until atleast Year 8, then after that, be made an elective (an elective which all schools must offer). I dread never learning to code at school, despite undertaking IT classes. We only learnt a tiny little bit of HTML. I do NOT know how to code and I think that kids should learn to code at school. What do you think NSG?


EDIT:
Olay, let me clear up a few things:
1. We only need to teach children the fundamentals. We don't need to get too advanced. We should raise a generation who know the BASICS of computer code
2. You don't teach kids above their level. Obviously. You're not gonna teach a 5 year old, for example, how to create an advanced app
3. We don't replace any other subjects
4. "Not all kids will be programmers" so what? Not all kids will be biology, but we still need to learn basic biology. Not all kids will be architects/tradies, but everyone still needs to learn trigonometry. Not all kids will be physicists, but we still need to learn physics. Very few kids will be writers, but we still need to learn creative writing, etc. Similarly, not all kids will be coders, but the fundamentals is still good knowledge to poses. Like any other subject, if these kids want to persue coding a carrer, they can learn it further through school electives and through tertiary education

No.

I learnt a bit of Python and Visual Basic at school (Computer Science was one of the options for the mandatory Science classes in Grades 11 and 12), and honestly, not really. If everyone learns how to code, then they'll probably only learn enough to break shit but not enough to fix it, and there will be a glut of programmers.

But there should be classes where students can learn how to code things.

You mean they don't ? That has been part of the curriculum for well over 20 years now..

The Grims wrote:You mean they don't ? That has been part of the curriculum for well over 20 years now..

Welcome to the rest of the world: while some countries require schoolkids to learn how to code, many don't. I only took the computer sciences classes just because they were easier than chemistry or biology.

You could try, I guess. I think it's the height of stupidity to think that computer coding is going to be a satisfying line of work for many people, though, or that very many people are going to find it very engaging even as a hobby. People have different interests, you know?

The Grims wrote:You mean they don't ? That has been part of the curriculum for well over 20 years now..

No it hasn't.

Australian rePublic wrote:Should we teach school children how to code? I think that yes, yes we should. Coding is the future. As many more jobs are automated, we will always need coders to maintain these machines. Further, new jobs, such as app developers, are always springing up, jobs that didn't even exist 20 years ago. Therefore, imagine 20 years from now which hobs will exist that will require coding. Further, people who enter into traditional industries such as baking, medicine, etc. Will pobably need to learb to code to develop their own websites and apps. Besides, the benefits of learning coding go beyond employment. A school's primary goal is education, not emoyment. Coding teaches kids creativity and problem solving, both of which are very important. I think that coding should be compulsory from Kindergarden until atleast Year 8, then after that, be made an elective (an elective which all schools must offer). I dread never learning to code at school, despite undertaking IT classes. We only learnt a tiny little bit of HTML. I do NOT know how to code and I think that kids should learn to code at school. What do you think NSG?

I would agree with you. Coding is amazing, it's a hobby I do daily. But it should replace P.E from Grades K to 5, and make P.E an elective, since P.E is boring.

Trinadaed wrote:

Australian rePublic wrote:Should we teach school children how to code? I think that yes, yes we should. Coding is the future. As many more jobs are automated, we will always need coders to maintain these machines. Further, new jobs, such as app developers, are always springing up, jobs that didn't even exist 20 years ago. Therefore, imagine 20 years from now which hobs will exist that will require coding. Further, people who enter into traditional industries such as baking, medicine, etc. Will pobably need to learb to code to develop their own websites and apps. Besides, the benefits of learning coding go beyond employment. A school's primary goal is education, not emoyment. Coding teaches kids creativity and problem solving, both of which are very important. I think that coding should be compulsory from Kindergarden until atleast Year 8, then after that, be made an elective (an elective which all schools must offer). I dread never learning to code at school, despite undertaking IT classes. We only learnt a tiny little bit of HTML. I do NOT know how to code and I think that kids should learn to code at school. What do you think NSG?

I would agree with you. Coding is amazing, it's a hobby I do daily. But it should replace P.E from Grades K to 5, and make P.E an elective, since P.E is boring.

P.E is (supposed to be) important for everyone, now more then ever with the obesity epidemic. But few people will ever need to learn how to code, and the field moves so fast you’d never have the need to teach more then the fundamentals.

Trinadaed wrote:

Australian rePublic wrote:Should we teach school children how to code? I think that yes, yes we should. Coding is the future. As many more jobs are automated, we will always need coders to maintain these machines. Further, new jobs, such as app developers, are always springing up, jobs that didn't even exist 20 years ago. Therefore, imagine 20 years from now which hobs will exist that will require coding. Further, people who enter into traditional industries such as baking, medicine, etc. Will pobably need to learb to code to develop their own websites and apps. Besides, the benefits of learning coding go beyond employment. A school's primary goal is education, not emoyment. Coding teaches kids creativity and problem solving, both of which are very important. I think that coding should be compulsory from Kindergarden until atleast Year 8, then after that, be made an elective (an elective which all schools must offer). I dread never learning to code at school, despite undertaking IT classes. We only learnt a tiny little bit of HTML. I do NOT know how to code and I think that kids should learn to code at school. What do you think NSG?

I would agree with you. Coding is amazing, it's a hobby I do daily. But it should replace P.E from Grades K to 5, and make P.E an elective, since P.E is boring.

That's a pretty stupid idea.

Trinadaed wrote:

Australian rePublic wrote:Should we teach school children how to code? I think that yes, yes we should. Coding is the future. As many more jobs are automated, we will always need coders to maintain these machines. Further, new jobs, such as app developers, are always springing up, jobs that didn't even exist 20 years ago. Therefore, imagine 20 years from now which hobs will exist that will require coding. Further, people who enter into traditional industries such as baking, medicine, etc. Will pobably need to learb to code to develop their own websites and apps. Besides, the benefits of learning coding go beyond employment. A school's primary goal is education, not emoyment. Coding teaches kids creativity and problem solving, both of which are very important. I think that coding should be compulsory from Kindergarden until atleast Year 8, then after that, be made an elective (an elective which all schools must offer). I dread never learning to code at school, despite undertaking IT classes. We only learnt a tiny little bit of HTML. I do NOT know how to code and I think that kids should learn to code at school. What do you think NSG?

I would agree with you. Coding is amazing, it's a hobby I do daily. But it should replace P.E from Grades K to 5, and make P.E an elective, since P.E is boring.

Yes just what we need, a bunch of obese programmers running tumbling around.

Trumptonium1 wrote:

Trinadaed wrote:
I would agree with you. Coding is amazing, it's a hobby I do daily. But it should replace P.E from Grades K to 5, and make P.E an elective, since P.E is boring.

Yes just what we need, a bunch of obese programmers running tumbling around.

lol

Trumptonium1 wrote:

Trinadaed wrote:
I would agree with you. Coding is amazing, it's a hobby I do daily. But it should replace P.E from Grades K to 5, and make P.E an elective, since P.E is boring.

Yes just what we need, a bunch of obese programmers running tumbling around.

"I can't run more than 20 feet and my resting heartrate is 110 bpm but dammit, I know Python!"

Scomagia wrote:

Trumptonium1 wrote:
Yes just what we need, a bunch of obese programmers running tumbling around.

"I can't run more than 20 feet and my resting heartrate is 110 bpm but dammit, I know Python!"

Hopefully they can code themselves new genes so life expectancy won't be 65.

Trumptonium1 wrote:

Scomagia wrote:"I can't run more than 20 feet and my resting heartrate is 110 bpm but dammit, I know Python!"

Hopefully they can code themselves new genes so life expectancy won't be 65.

I'm pretty sure sitting on your ass and mowing down Doritos and energy drinks will make 65 an optimistic estimate.

Scomagia wrote:

Trumptonium1 wrote:
Hopefully they can code themselves new genes so life expectancy won't be 65.

I'm pretty sure sitting on your ass and mowing down Doritos and energy drinks will make 65 an optimistic estimate.

That's a gamer stereotype and is wholly untrue.

Actual gamers eat pretzels and water/Gatorade.

Teach math, language and basic problem solving. It will last longer, and has use outside of programming.

I know how to code.

And not all school kids should learn how to code.

I like my well paid job to stay well paid

Also, coding is just one skill, if a kid has aptitude for it, yes, learn it. If not, learn something else.

As an actual professional programmer I don't think it's a bad idea. Obviously there is absolutely no change in hell you are going to teach them anything actually useful in real life at that age and with that little time. But it is going to introduce them to the subject and might lead those few actually talented for the art to take it up. I know that if I hadn't been introduced to it at that age I would newer have ended up where I am.

Just don't try and sell it as being any more important than art or sports or any of the other pointless ancillary subjects and don't expect to actually make them into programmers just because you gave them a course and you'll be fine.

Trumptonium1 wrote:

Scomagia wrote:"I can't run more than 20 feet and my resting heartrate is 110 bpm but dammit, I know Python!"

Hopefully they can code themselves new genes so life expectancy won't be 65.

You joke, but that's the sort of thing society could achieve if more people were data literate. P.E. should probably be kept though...

Honestly, there's a huge logistical problem in that anyone who could teach a decent comp sci program here (US) can make far more money doing literally anything in industry. A lack of investment in education screws us over yet again.

Yuplo wrote:

Trumptonium1 wrote:
Hopefully they can code themselves new genes so life expectancy won't be 65.

You joke, but that's the sort of thing society could achieve if more people were data literate. P.E. should probably be kept though...

Honestly, there's a huge logistical problem in that anyone who could teach a decent comp sci program here (US) can make far more money doing literally anything in industry. A lack of investment in education screws us over yet again.

Let's be real though, you won't be teaching school children anything really useful anyway. It's not like you can end up with university level education at age 18 just because you started sooner. Especially given the amount of math and other things you need to understand to actually be a proper programmer. The only thing you can realistically achieve with people that age is figure out which children have a natural talent and help them discover it.

To be honest, if I was a teacher I'd just encourage kids to take up game modding. That's basically programming only more fun because they get to play with their games.

New haven america wrote:

Scomagia wrote:I'm pretty sure sitting on your ass and mowing down Doritos and energy drinks will make 65 an optimistic estimate.

That's a gamer stereotype and is wholly untrue.

Actual gamers eat pretzels and water/Gatorade.

It was more of a crack about the poster who said PE should be replaced with coding than a shot at programmers.

Aclion wrote:Teach math, language and basic problem solving. It will last longer, and has use outside of programming.

I'd rather have everyone taught the basics of everything in a real-life-applicable way.

So ordinary English would have reading consent forms instead of poetry, computer science would have solving common and less common computer (and maybe also home entertainment) breakdowns, physics would have DIY-applied physics or vehicle handling, etc...

Petrolheadia wrote:

Aclion wrote:Teach math, language and basic problem solving. It will last longer, and has use outside of programming.

I'd rather have everyone taught the basics of everything in a real-life-applicable way.

So ordinary English would have reading consent forms instead of poetry, computer science would have solving common and less common computer (and maybe also home entertainment) breakdowns, physics would have DIY-applied physics or vehicle handling, etc...

Economics will let you fill in a tax form.

It's probably not a bad idea for people to have a better understanding of the underpinnings of the technology that surrounds them.