The Chartered Institute of IT (BCS) has issued a statement fully supporting Education Secretary Michael Gove’s new draft curriculum for GCSE Computing.
Gove today announced a U-turn on his plans to scrap GCSEs and is now instead looking to reform the subjects as they currently stand. However, the reformed Computing programme will only be in schools twelve months after updates to the English, Maths, Biology, Physics and Chemistry exams, which will be in place from 2015.
"As the Chartered Institute for IT, we fully welcome and support the new draft computing curriculum. We know that pupils from primary school onwards enjoy and are good at computing and that it aids their intellectual development,” said Bill Mitchell, Director of BCS Academy of Computing.
“Learning the fundamental principles and techniques of computer science is also important for the development of the UK’s future engineers, scientists and creators of technology.”
Mitchell added: “The DfE's new draft computing curriculum has at its core these principles whilst still embodying the most important aspects of digital literacy which everyone needs to live effectively in our digital society.”
The draft curriculum states that students studying Key Stage 4 Computing (GCSE) will be expected to “study aspects of information technology and computer science at sufficient depth to allow them to progress to higher levels of study or to a professional career”.
BCS, along with the Royal Academy of Engineering, was asked by the Department for Education to co-ordinate the development of a revised programme of study as part of the National Curriculum review, and issued a draft to the Department in October last year.
“The change of name to computing is an extremely important signal to pupils, parents, schools, employers and universities that this is a new subject based on science and engineering principles,” said Mitchell.