Communications of the ACM
Tech Firms Call for Mandatory Computer Classes
Some school districts in Massachusetts already offer computer science courses, but few students are taking them.
Credit: The Boston Globe
Executives from Google, Microsoft, and other leading technology firms want to require all Massachusetts public schools to teach computer science, so that local tech companies won't have to rely on foreign workers to fill future programming and engineering jobs. The plan would compel the teaching of computer science classes as early as the eighth grade, add computing questions to the state's standardized tests, and create a statewide curriculum for technology instruction throughout high school. While the plan has the potential to boost the state's IT workforce, it has attracted its fair share of doubters, who believe that the program would be too resource-intensive, requiring millions of dollars in new spending, as well as the retraining of hundreds of teachers and the hiring of new ones.
While state education officials agree with tech executives that Massachusetts graduates should be better equipped to pursue computer science careers, they argue that a better approach would be to incorporate computer teaching in existing course work, or to work with individual school districts to develop their own specific curriculums. Moreover, the state is currently revising its standards to increase the amount of engineering and technology that public schools must teach, and additional computer science education is under consideration. Meanwhile a Massachusetts state senator earlier this year filed legislation that would mandate more computer science classes in public schools. Currently, high school students in Massachusetts are taught a core group of math and science subjects, including algebra and geometry, and engineering topics such as electronics and electronic communications.
From The Boston Globe
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