Should Every Child Learn Coding at School?
AdvancedTech & Internet
Should Every Child Learn Coding at School?
Two sides of the debate
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Good afternoon. I'm a software engineer and a father of two. People often ask me whether every child should learn coding at school. My honest answer is: it depends on what we mean by coding. Let's look at both sides.
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My honest answer is:
What I truly think is.
it depends on what we mean by
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01Should Every Child Learn Coding at School?
Good afternoon. I'm a software engineer and a father of two. People often ask me whether every child should learn coding at school. My honest answer is: it depends on what we mean by coding. Let's look at both sides.
02What Japan Decided
Some countries have already decided. In Japan, programming education became a required part of primary school from 2020. Interestingly, it isn't a separate subject. It's taught inside existing subjects like math and science.
Sources: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan: Elementary School Curriculum Guidelines (2017), fully implemented from FY2020; Government of Japan Public Relations Office (gov-online.go.jp): "小学校のプログラミング教育"
03For: Logical Thinking
Supporters say coding teaches logical thinking. Children learn to break a big problem into small steps, test their ideas, and fix their mistakes. These skills are useful far beyond computers.
04For: Understanding the World Around Us
Supporters also argue that children use apps, games, and AI every day. If they understand a little about how these tools work, they become creators, not just users.
05Against: A Crowded Timetable
On the other hand, critics point out that the school day is already full. Adding coding may take time away from reading, art, or play. Also, many teachers didn't study coding themselves and need proper training.
06Against: Skills Change Fast
Critics also worry that specific programming languages change quickly. What a seven-year-old learns today may be out of date by the time they start work.
07My View
Personally, I think both sides are partly right. Young children don't need to master a programming language. But they can benefit from short, playful lessons on step-by-step thinking, the way Japan mixes it into other subjects.
Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan: Elementary School Curriculum Guidelines (2017), fully implemented from FY2020
08Conclusion
To sum up, the real goal shouldn't be to turn every child into a programmer. It should be to help every child think clearly. If coding lessons do that, they're worth the time. Thank you.
Cover photo by jamesmarkosborne on Pixabay