Computing in Schools: The Great Ctrl-Alt-Del

Glyn Moody | Computer World UK | January 25, 2012

After years of unforgivable inaction, the education world is finally addressing the continuing disgrace that is computer teaching in this country. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the UK Education Secretary Michael Gove's comments on this area, and now we have the Royal Society's report on computing in schools...

Implementation of the curriculum in schools and in particular the ‘boring’ nature of ICT in England - often focusing on skills in using particular office software, and being overburdened by documenting students’ work through screenshots in order to meet assessment requirements.

Note, by the way, the coy use of the phrase "particular office software" here: it's curious that for the last fifteen years or so, the government and local educational departments have had no hesitation on mandating that Microsoft Office was the only software that could be used in schools (don't even think about using that funny free stuff), and yet the Royal Society report can't quite bring itself to utter those two words. It would be interesting to know whether that is a result of overt censorship - Microsoft is listed as one of the sponsors of the report - or simply self-censorship. I imagine the latter, so ingrained is the UK's servility when it comes to Microsoft.

The report also correctly notes one of the exciting things about computing - for, unlike its hideous perversion that is taught in UK schools, computing remains one of the most exciting subjects around today - is its potential to unleash creativity and intellectual excitement...