12 January 2012

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, welcomed the announcement made by the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, yesterday at BETT that endorses the importance of computer science on the curriculum.

The Institute together with input from Microsoft, Google and Cambridge University Computer Science department, CAS has created a computing curriculum. This has been endorsed by both Microsoft and Google as describing important principles and concepts that are suitable for schools. The curriculum is suitable for key stage 3 and 4, and is modelled directly on the UK National Curriculum Programmes of Study.

Bill Mitchell, Director BCS Academy of Computing says: “BCS is extremely pleased that Michael Gove has publicly endorsed the importance of teaching computer science in schools. His proposals, particularly the suggestion that if a new rigorous GCSE in computer science is developed it might be included in the EBacc, are also a significant first step towards enabling schools to teach computer science. 

“Good schools will now be free to teach the underpinning principles and concepts of computer science through imaginative and rigorous curricula such as the Computing At School (CAS) curriculum, which is endorsed by both Microsoft and Google.

“There are major challenges ahead not least because there is a shortage of both intellectually challenging GCSE qualifications and teachers with expert computer science knowledge. However, together with CAS and collaborating with groups like Next Gen, our experience and resources mean that we are ideally placed to provide teachers with what they need to teach both digital skills and computer science.” 

For more information on the computing curriculum developed by CAS and BCS, The Chartered for IT, please visit: http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/ComputingCurric.pdf

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