Coding for kids? Teach the basics of education first
Should we teach computer programming to children?
This question bounces around in the news and among technophiles who worry about things like coding. They worry Canada won’t be competitive if we don’t teach children how to write software. They worry we won’t have gender parity in the tech industry if we don’t teach young girls how to code.
The worry, op-eds and lobbying will continue until educators, tired of the constant debate, finally cave to the demands of technophiles and institute mandatory coding classes. For girls especially.
But let’s set aside the self-interest of the pro-code lobby and return to the question: Should we teach coding to grade schoolers?