Young people need a new digital literacy qualification focussed on AI and modern tech skills, as part of reform to the school curriculum, according to the professional body for computing. Pupils should be taught to get the best out of tools like ChatGPT, understanding their strengths and limitations, so they can succeed in life and modern careers, said BCS, The Chartered institute for IT.
Responding to the DfE’s Curriculum and Assessment review, BCS said the current Computer Science GCSE works for just a narrow group of students, due to its theoretical focus. BCS analysis of DfE data found that 94% of girls and 79% of boys in England drop computing as soon as they can, at 14 years old. The lack of focus on practical outcomes puts off far too many students, the charity said.
The scope of the existing GCSE should also be broadened to include a focus on how AI is built, as well as its risks and opportunities – and do more to show teenagers the ways in which computing changes the world.
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Julia Adamson MBE, Managing Director for Education and Public Benefit at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT said: “The computing curriculum is abstract and unmotivating, and it doesn’t show teenagers how the subject can be applied to solve the world's big challenges. The key stage 3 curriculum and the GCSE need updating to reflect this and to include areas like AI and data analysis, as well as understanding of the huge social and economic impact of computing.
“All young people deserve to leave school digitally literate, or they’ll be left behind. This needs to be recognised in a new qualification that proves this and gives employers, universities and training providers confidence. It should go beyond low-level functional skills and include critical thinking about the opportunities and risks digital technology presents for the world.”
The DfE’s Curriculum and Assessment review, led by Professor Becky Francis and focussed on England, closed its call for evidence last week.
