ROYAL SOCIETY COMPUTING EDUCATION REPORT 2017 Teachers can download the 2017 report from October
he Royal Society is due to launch its new report into the provision of computing in UK schools. The report is influenced by evidence gathered from individuals and organisations who are interested in computing. Teachers will be able to download the report in October from the Royal Society website, at helloworld.cc/2hFn755. The new report follows the Royal Society’s seminal 2012 report, Shut down or restart? (helloworld.cc/2vibUdX). The old national curriculum in ICT “has been discontinued” said David Do Quy, Computing Project Leader at The Royal Society. In its place, we have a computing curriculum with three areas: IT, digital literacy, and computer science.
T
“A well-taught curriculum should cover these three strands”, said Do Quy, so that young people are equipped with the skills to “thrive in our digital world”.
“
Teachers need “more support and investment,” said Do Quy. The 2014 reform moved the curriculum away from an ICT approach, to one
A COMPUTING CURRICULUM NEEDS TO FOCUS ON THREE AREAS: IT, DIGITAL LITERACY, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
Recruitment of computing teachers also needs to be addressed. Only 68 percent of the recruitment target is reported to have been met, which is lower than in any of the sciences. The report will outline actions to address the shortage of computing teachers.
focused on computational thinking skills. While there is widespread enthusiasm for the new subject, it has not yet reached the same level of uptake at A level as the old ICT qualification. Do Quy notes that “more work needs to be done” to grow the subject, “especially for girls”.
helloworld.cc
11