Why is coding still not taught in Irish primary schools?

Carnegie

Its a national disgrace how this is not a mandatory subject from primary school onwards. Yet again we have to wait for the rest of the world to add it to its primary school curriculum before we go "oh hey maybe we should add it too!!!"

Sky King

We program our kids with religion instead.

MagicMarker

Where we're going, we don't need codes.

Duckworth_Luas

I learned the Code in my school! Know the CODE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEssgMQ1O_k

seven_eleven

Mandatory? Hell no, there should be more time spent teaching kids about the real basics of computers first.
Coding should be a optional subject in secondary school.

GetWithIt

We do, it's called Maths and English.

Logic and reasoning. Understanding abstract concepts.

There is no such subject as coding.

Gorilla Rising

Mandatory? A national disgrace?

Come off it.

It should be optional in secondary school.

Most interest from IT comes from males (I'm sure). A lot of girls (as would some guys) resent it as they do Irish/religion.

It's certainly not for everybody and this is just the latest in a line of lazy attacks on the school system. though not at all perfect, I admit.

CSSE09

If they even brought it in to secondary it'd be a start, can't see that happening any time soon though. If anyone has kids 18 or under and would like to get them involved in programming check this site, http://coderdojo.com/

fullgas

You have to learn maths before you can code.

Seachmall

Because kids spend enough time banging their heads against walls accidentally without having them do it on purpose in computer class too.

fullgas wrote: »

You have to learn maths before you can code.

LIES! I'm shit at maths.


I'm shit at programming too but I'm like 9b% sure that that's unrelated.


9b%? That's a number, right?

DaveDaRave

fullgas wrote: »

You have to learn maths before you can code.

not really

partyatmygaff

Probably for the same reason that medicine isn't taught in primary schools.

Carnegie

seven_eleven wrote: »

Mandatory? Hell no, there should be more time spent teaching kids about the real basics of computers first.
Coding should be a optional subject in secondary school.

the basics of computers is childs play, they can learn that anytime, they need to be taught coding in primary school when their speed of learning is at its greatest

nocoverart

I agree with OP. All these kids need coding for their drink, drug and tobacco addictions, It's getting out of hand

partyatmygaff

fullgas wrote: »

You have to learn maths before you can code.

Not always...

HTML markup and web languages wouldn't be too hard to learn even if the only maths you had was basic arithmetic. Maybe as part of a small general "Computers" course teaching how computers and the internet work. You'll give everyone the foundations and those that enjoy the subject can take it further in their own time.

Seachmall

Carnegie wrote: »

the basics of computers is childs play

And yet 95% of people have no idea of the basics of computers.

Carnegie

fortune wookiee wrote: »

Mandatory? A national disgrace?

Come off it.

It should be optional in secondary school.

Most interest from IT comes from males (I'm sure). A lot of girls (as would some guys) resent it as they do Irish/religion.

It's certainly not for everybody and this is just the latest in a line of lazy attacks on the school system. though not at all perfect, I admit.

its got nothing to do with being interested in it, its to do with the fact that in 30 years time the only jobs going will be coding

morlock_

There are 2 kids from India aged 10 and 12 that have their own company Go Dimensions writing applications for Android and iOS

15,000 Raspberry PI devices were given to school kids in UK.

The countries investing in this technology now will dominate the sector in future hands down.

There's the CoderDojo network but I think this was largely the effort of a few enthusiasts without government support (open to correction)

The education system in Ireland needs modernising, it's outdated by 15-20 years at least.

Seachmall

Carnegie wrote: »

its got nothing to do with being interested in it, its to do with the fact that in 30 years time the only jobs going will be coding

What about prostitution? A drug dealing?

Can't have programmers without prostitution and drug dealing!

DaveDaRave

the basics of computers = binary and transistors ?

fullgas

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Not always...

HTML markup and web languages wouldn't be too hard to learn even if the only maths you had was basic arithmetic. Maybe with something small and general about how computers and the internet work.

Yes you do, all computer code is logic & algebraic formulas.

Pride Fighter

It is being done at schools through coderdojo.

Look it up. They're doing great stuff.

shleedance

I say make it mandatory. We need more people who are literate to a certain degree in programming. Also, jobs in such fields are lacking a bit at the moment, so we need to make that spark. Even better, incorporate it with maths since there's aspects of that in it too.

Better than nonsense such as religion. I know I would've benefited from it.

Seachmall

fullgas wrote: »

Yes you do, all computer code is logic & algebraic formulas.

It really depends on what's you're programming but for the vast majority of stuff anything other than basic maths isn't necessary.

morlock_

fullgas wrote: »

Yes you do, all computer code is logic & algebraic formulas.

I don't think you need to be good at mathematics to program at all. Of course it helps you become a better programmer but it's not a prerequisite.

Algebra might be required to implement a specific algorithm involving encryption for example but a lot of applications don't require any more knowledge than basic arithmetic.

Solair

We did coding in primary school - LOGO !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_(programming_language)

Trotter

I'm a primary teacher and I've a computers degree. My class will be doing scratch later this month. I haven't time allocated for it but I'm going to squeeze it in anyway. I think it'll do wonders for their problem solving in maths.

Oafley Jones

Seachmall wrote: »

What about prostitution? A drug dealing?

Can't have programmers without prostitution and drug dealing!

More security in prostitution, it's a lot harder to outsource to India.

jellie

Primary school is too early, you at least need to be able to type & spell first.

Midnight Sundance

How would you suggest training all the primary teachers to a sufficient standard in coding? Where would the money come from? The time? And not to mention the resources??
What subject should we drop in order to make time for this? The curriculum is already extremely overloaded.

DaveDaRave

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

How would you suggest training all the primary teachers to a sufficient standard in coding? Where would the money come from? The time? And not to mention the resources??
What subject should we drop in order to make time for this? The curriculum is already extremely overloaded.

religion and irish

LeinsterDub

If the drop out rate in my college course when it came to programming is any indication making mandatory would be a disaster

What we definitely need to do with programming is what we've done with every other subject, create an incredibly basic syllabus, tell the kids it's hard, spread it over 7-14 years of schooling with the most uniform teaching possible and make sure that everyone learns the exact same stuff.

shedweller

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

How would you suggest training all the primary teachers to a sufficient standard in coding? Where would the money come from? The time? And not to mention the resources??
What subject should we drop in order to make time for this? The curriculum is already extremely overloaded.

We could make religion optional.

DaveDaRave

LeinsterDub wrote: »

If the drop out rate in my college course when it came to programming is any indication making mandatory would be a disaster

well i dont know about it being mandatory but if it was an optional subject then im sure there would be a much lower drop out rate at third level as people would realize by CAO time that computer science is not about using facebook and making call of duty

Solair

I think I must have just had a very forward thinking primary school.

We had coding going on in the early 1990s (before the internet was mainstream!)

It was a fairly simplistic language, but it did give you a basic understanding of what programming is.

In keeping with Irish primary schools of the early 90s, we still had to draw St Bridget's crosses using code and turtle graphics and make it say stuff as Gaeilge.

One project we did involved making a game for teaching you Irish prepositions lol

Oafley Jones

Inserts Hysterical demand that Mandarin should be taught in Primary. Disgrace Joe etc. etc.

morlock_

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

How would you suggest training all the primary teachers to a sufficient standard in coding? Where would the money come from? The time? And not to mention the resources??
What subject should we drop in order to make time for this? The curriculum is already extremely overloaded.

I would remove religion and Irish as compulsory subjects for a start.
At least give kids the option to study programming instead of forcing them to learn history or geography and other banal subjects.

Jimoslimos

Why stop at coding?

I mean if you really want to know how computers work then surely an understanding of semiconductors, solid state physics and quantum mechanics are essential.

darahiggins

Slightly off topic but I'm a trainee solicitor and have always had an interest in coding so ive decided to do a free online course on a fantastic website called udacity.com (not that it will be of any use to me). This gives you the basics of coding all the way up to advanced levels. Its designed moreso for people in developing countries with no access to education but why not avail of the free interactive lectures. Is there anyone here who has used this website or knows whether instruction on the python programme is a good way to approach the topic?

Oafley Jones

morlock_ wrote: »

I would remove religion and Irish as compulsory subjects for a start.
At least give kids the option to study programming instead of forcing them to learn history or geography and other banal subjects.

You consider basic programming more important than history or geography?

shleedance

Jimoslimos wrote: »

Why stop at coding?

I mean if you really want to know how computers work then surely an understanding of semiconductors, solid state physics and quantum mechanics are essential.

Wouldn't need to go that far. Although, teaching basic science would be helpful as a separate subject.

Seachmall

darahiggins wrote: »

knows whether instruction on the python programme is a good way to approach the topic?

Absolutely.

One of the most useful languages you can learn (especially for a nonprogrammer).

shleedance

Oafley Jones wrote: »

You consider basic programming more important than history or geography?

Actually it stems to how I feel that the entire education should be revamped. It's incredibly inefficient and backwards in many aspects.

Dwork

Before we hop kids into Coding, any hope our primary schools might all teach them to actually read and write properly first? That might be some way realistic. We can then move on to more ambitious stuff.

shleedance

Dwork wrote: »

Before we hop kids into Coding, any hope our primary schools might all teach them to actually read and write properly first? That might be some way realistic. We can then move on to more ambitious stuff.

I'm sure most kids are literate enough by 5th class.

LordSutch

shedweller wrote: »

We could make religion optional.

And/or we could make Irish optional.

morlock_

Oafley Jones wrote: »

You consider basic programming more important than history or geography?

How much geography and history do you want to know?

I was taught these subjects (specifically history) for many years of my primary and secondary education with absolutely no benefit to my current life today.

The same can be said for Religion and Irish yet we're forced to learn these subjects from an early age.

The only subjects I found beneficial were Maths and English, that's it and the other subjects have been a tragic waste of time.

partyatmygaff

fullgas wrote: »

Yes you do, all computer code is logic & algebraic formulas.

Yes but you don't need much in the way of algebra or logic to teach kids how to set up a website and write some basic HTML/CSS and the odd javascript function or two. That and some of the basics of computers and the internet would be more than enough to get people interested.

ImDave

Basic computer science might not be a bad idea, but why single out one area of IT on the basis of there being a decent demand for programmers right now and call it a national disgrace that children aren't being thought it?

Sensationalist comment OP - try and make it until you can "Talk to Joe" instead tomorrow afternoon!

Midnight Sundance

DaveDaRave wrote: »

religion and irish

If I could drop religion and Irish I think that I would rather concentrate on reading and writing. But that's an entirely different debate.
The education budget already has been severed. Children who should be getting learning support or resource hours are not getting it due to teaching numbers being culled. Classes are getting bigger and getting language support teachers is getting more and more difficult. If there was the money in the coffers I don't think training teachers in coding is exactly the place to spend it right now. I'm not saying its ridiculous but it's not visible right now.