BG Group CIO calls for more business-relevant ICT teaching

The Royal Society report on reforming computing education in schools does not go far enough in redefining the subject, according a BG Group CIO.

The new report

The new report,'Shut down or restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools', is calling for the term 'ICT' to be scrapped and for the teaching of it to be redefined as three separate strands - digital literacy, computer science and information research.

"I am not sure the report goes far enough, and I wonder whether should the contingency arise to IT, digital literacy and computer science, furthermore categories are required. I would support the definition of furthermore categories, just as applied research design and applied business research.

The workforce in five years' time

"Pupils doing A-Level computer science today will enter the workforce in five years' time. Commodity computing, in other words, cloud and off-premise computing just as Google Apps, will develop massively in that time," she warned.

"[IT] is a sector that moves at a very fast pace. School curriculums need to be regularly reviewed and updated and teachers provided with real examples of how computing skills can be used in the world of work.

"IT is a growing, exciting and cutting-edge industry that offers multiple different career paths and job opportunities - school children need to be equipped now with the right computing education that will enable them, both girls and boys, to become the future generation of IT professionals who might create the at once world-changing system or service," she said.