ICT qualifications petition

yes... and kids will still have qualifications

were we missing something in the past by not having a separate qualification in the operation of calculators, slide rules and drawing on graph paper - or would completing GCSEs in maths and the sciences mean that that skill set was a given?
 
Last edited:
If kids are going to be studying Computer Science from the age of 5+ they won't need a GCSE/A Level in ICT - they'll be able to use Office.

If anything there should be a Business Information Systems GCSE which teaches a bit more about the IT side of things as well as Business.
 
Throrik said:
If kids are going to be studying Computer Science from the age of 5+ they won't need a GCSE/A Level in ICT - they'll be able to use Office.

If anything there should be a Business Information Systems GCSE which teaches a bit more about the IT side of things as well as Business.
Click to expand...

Why would you waste time by teaching Office in a Computer Science qualification? It's got nothing to do with computer science.

There is a "Business Information Systems GCSE" - ICT. :p
 
MichaelAwkward said:
Other qualifications don't emphasise the use of computers in real life... :confused:

EDIT: Operating a calculator, slide rules and drawing on graph paper aren't nearly the same as being able to use Office software, etc.
Click to expand...

why do you have to emphasise their use?

I'll point it out again - kids can learn to use a word processor and spreadsheet well before they turn 16. They can make use of these in other subjects.

You don't need a separate GCSE just to cover the use of what are now essentially basic tools that everyone has in their home and that other subjects make use of

begin able to use office software isn't complicated, it really isn't too much different to learning to use a calculator properly
 
dowie said:
why do you have to emphasise their use?

I'll point it out again - kids can learn to use a word processor and spreadsheet well before they turn 16. They can make use of these in other subjects.

You don't need a separate GCSE just to cover the use of what are now essentially basic tools that everyone has in their home and that other subjects make use of
Click to expand...

Computer use in other subjects basically ends at using the internet to research things and adding pictures to a word document. If you consider that sufficient, then by all means, get rid of the ICT GCSE.
 
dowie said:
we already have got rid of it - I'm struggling to see why it needs to be brought back
Click to expand...

We haven't yet. Only from 2017.

The problem is that they really need to redesign every other subject to make better use of ICT skills. I don't think they've done that.

Like I said, the use of computers in other subjects isn't really sufficient.
 
Well there you go - that doesn't mean you need an ICT GCSE! You just need to make sure other subjects make use of computers. Point is, again, that using office products is fairly basic - they're just tools and it doesn't really require an entire subject - you can still teach kids how to use computers and you should be doing so well before GCSE exams come around.
 
Pointless petition.

Anyone skilled enough to have good knowledge of ICT isn't going to enter teaching as the pay is too low compared to fields where they can just practice those skills for much better pay and conditions.

So even if you refined the syllabus, you aren't going to have anyone to teach it.
 
MichaelAwkward said:
Why would you waste time by teaching Office in a Computer Science qualification? It's got nothing to do with computer science.

There is a "Business Information Systems GCSE" - ICT. :p
Click to expand...

I didn't say anything about teaching them Office in a Computer Science qualification :confused: - what I said is that seeing as people will be learning Computer Science from the age of 5 they will be expected to learn how Computers Work, how Hardware and Software works and how to write assignments and essays, therefore they will pick up Office skills easily.
 
If you want kids to learn their way around a computer then just shove a filter between their browser and the porn.

I don't think 'this is how to do stuff in MS Office' needs to be a subject of it's own. It needs to form part of other subjects. I guess you could bring computer science in at A-level, but I just don't see the point of teaching kids how to build a PC.
 
Growing up nowadays, I've had ICT lessons more or less as long as I can remember (started around year 1/2, aged about 5/6) and those were mainly a mixture of Office and various touch typing programs. Having a dad working in IT and a house full of computers has meant that I pick all of it up far quicker than the majority of my classmates, and so I soon got bored of "let's make Christmas cards in Publisher" etc. but there was nothing else in the curriculum at that point.

Around year 7 my school started this "Digital Creator" course from the BCS (quick google, looks like it's no longer offered by them). This was basically four units: audio, video, photography and sharing media (CDs etc). It was outdated from the start and very, very simplified. I found it pretty boring as it was mostly filling in worksheets and had very little actual computing or creative skill involved.

In year 9 we finally started actual coding and programming, in HTML/CSS, Small Basic, AppInventor (barely programming, I know, but better than Office) and also some Flash animation/ActionScript. This was the most interesting thing we'd done so far, but I still didn't love the subject, and then at the end of year 9 I dropped ICT/Computing entirely at GCSE. My friends who carried on are currently doing Python I believe. Unfortunately I have never really had the patience to get good at a language, and maybe dropping the subject is something I'll regret; then again, there are so many sites online on how to learn that I'm sure I can pick one up if I choose.

Personally I think that coding needs to be integrated into the curriculum FAR earlier than year 9, and taught in a way that interests more than the "geeky" kids. Making a program that prints prime numbers can't really compete with thermite in the science lab for example, but show people something like a robot or a game and they'll be far more interested.

Also, somewhere around year 7 the classes need to be set into the kids who can use Office and the ones who can't. It's hard for a teacher to try and get kids writing webpages in CSS when some of them still can't crop a picture in word (true story from year 9 ;))

Maybe once they achieve basic competency in Office they should get a certificate? Then there's no need for a GCSE to prove it.

TL;DR : Teach them Computing and how to code, because if they can't use Word by year 10 then there are bigger issues than the lack of an ICT GCSE.
 
Well that's the shift the government wants. It's now compulsory to teach computing at ks2 (junior school) and also ks3. With many schools now switching to a 2 hear ks3 starting in year7, kids are learning to code quicker. However it's not all code. Computing as a subject is now split into computer science, digital literacy and ICT.
There you go, clear as mud
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom