The schoolchildren in Canada will soon start learning computer coding and other digital skills from kindergarten through to high school, the Canadian government announced on Wednesday.
In this computer advanced world, we do realize how important today is ‘cyber security.’ To encounter the increasing number of cyber attack cases, the knowledge of counter-attacks, prevention and decryption are essential. For that, we need to know ‘coding.’ With all the prospects in mind, few countries are planning and have planned to teach coding to students covering Primary to high school students.
In Japan, some of the cities have already taken the initiative, while in China, schools have started teaching kids even before they reach pre-school.
After Japan and China, now Canada joined the queue. The Canadian government and the respective authority is planning to start teaching coding to school children. Over the next two years, about 500,000 students will be offered the opportunity to take part in the program that costs Can$50 million (US$38 million), according to the science ministry. Under the program, five hundred teachers would be appointed across the country and they will be trained and given tools to teach digital skills and coding to students starting from kindergarten.
“Many jobs today depend on the ability of Canadian workers to solve problems with the use of digital skills. Demand for such skills will be intensified as the number of software and data companies increases—whether they sell music online, or design self-driving cars, for example. That’s why the government is investing in the skills that prepare young Canadians for the jobs of tomorrow,” a joint statement from the two ministries (Ministers for Innovation and Science) of the country said, at an event in Ottawa.
The program also aims to encourage more young women, Indigenous Canadians, and other under-represented groups to pursue careers in STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics).
