Hooray… Finally we have a government trying to fix the decline in our computing skills base.
When I was a child Windows did not exist and anybody with an interest in computers got the Sinclair Spectrum or the BBC Micro. The key thing was that these computers had very little ready-made software and an unlimited ability for the user to programme for them.
That led to a generation of children growing up with the confidence needed to make the UK a global leader in software creativity.
Then everyone got a Windows PC. The PC does everything it can to stop you programming. Instead, it serves as a platform for software packages to buy.
So now IT lessons in school are all about learning Word, Excel and Powerpoint, instead of creating your own programmes.
How far from “lighting the flame” can you get?!
Totally agree. It’s happening in all subjects from science to car mechanics – the knowledge gap between what devices can do and how they operate is getting wider and wider. 20 years ago it was possible to buy any bit of equipment for the home and, if it broke down, at least make a good attempt at fixing it yourself. These days, it’s all controled by a small chip, and unless you know machine code or you’re an electrical engineer, it’s better just to get a new bit of equipment than attempt to fix it. How much stuff now contains the disclaimer ‘no user servicable component inside’.
Nathan – completely agreed. It’s quite a change from the way things used to be. Yet looking back might not help us much here. I feel we need to push forward in finding ways to open up the creative power of technology to more than just the talented few.