This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21261442
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Computer science part of English Baccalaureate | Computer science part of English Baccalaureate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Computer science is going to become part of the English Baccalaureate - one of the measures used in school league tables in England. | Computer science is going to become part of the English Baccalaureate - one of the measures used in school league tables in England. |
| It will be included as one of the science options that count towards this measure. | It will be included as one of the science options that count towards this measure. |
| The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) requires pupils to get good GCSE grades in English, maths, sciences, history or geography and a language. | |
| Technology firms have been calling for a bigger role for studying computing. | Technology firms have been calling for a bigger role for studying computing. |
| Microsoft's education director Steve Beswick welcomed the announcement as the "start of a journey" in changing how computer science is taught. | Microsoft's education director Steve Beswick welcomed the announcement as the "start of a journey" in changing how computer science is taught. |
| He wants the subject to be taught to even younger children, including in primary school. | He wants the subject to be taught to even younger children, including in primary school. |
| A Google spokeswoman said this "marks a significant further investment in the next generation of British computer scientists". | A Google spokeswoman said this "marks a significant further investment in the next generation of British computer scientists". |
| Core subjects | Core subjects |
| The decision by ministers will mean that computing will count as a science in the English Baccalaureate for secondary school league tables from January 2014 - alongside physics, chemistry, biology and pupils taking double science. | |
| In January 2012, Education Secretary Michael Gove announced he was replacing the information and communications technology (ICT) curriculum in schools with a more challenging computer science curriculum, developed to meet the needs of technology firms. | In January 2012, Education Secretary Michael Gove announced he was replacing the information and communications technology (ICT) curriculum in schools with a more challenging computer science curriculum, developed to meet the needs of technology firms. |
| In October, a panel of technology experts, including representatives of Google and Microsoft, called for the inclusion of computer science in the English Baccalaureate. | In October, a panel of technology experts, including representatives of Google and Microsoft, called for the inclusion of computer science in the English Baccalaureate. |
| The English Baccalaureate was introduced as a measure of school performance, appearing in league tables, and showing the proportion of pupils achieving GCSEs grade C and above and some AS-levels in specified key subjects. | The English Baccalaureate was introduced as a measure of school performance, appearing in league tables, and showing the proportion of pupils achieving GCSEs grade C and above and some AS-levels in specified key subjects. |
| The planned changes in qualifications in England will see some of these core subjects becoming English Baccalaureate Certificates, replacing the current GCSEs. | The planned changes in qualifications in England will see some of these core subjects becoming English Baccalaureate Certificates, replacing the current GCSEs. |
| There have been several lobbying campaigns to add further subjects to the English Baccalaureate - including arts and religious education - with concerns that subjects outside this group could be marginalised. | There have been several lobbying campaigns to add further subjects to the English Baccalaureate - including arts and religious education - with concerns that subjects outside this group could be marginalised. |
| Computer science will be the first extra subject to be added. | Computer science will be the first extra subject to be added. |
| It is already being offered by the OCR exam board, which introduced the subject in 2010 with a first 50 candidates taking the exam in 2011. Suggesting an appetite for the subject, this had risen to 2,000 candidates for the subject in summer 2012. | It is already being offered by the OCR exam board, which introduced the subject in 2010 with a first 50 candidates taking the exam in 2011. Suggesting an appetite for the subject, this had risen to 2,000 candidates for the subject in summer 2012. |
| Alongside sciences, the English Baccalaureate comprises English, maths and humanities - which is a choice of history or geography - and a language. | Alongside sciences, the English Baccalaureate comprises English, maths and humanities - which is a choice of history or geography - and a language. |
| Languages can be either ancient or modern, drawn from a list of 172 course options, ranging from classical Greek to Japanese and Urdu. | Languages can be either ancient or modern, drawn from a list of 172 course options, ranging from classical Greek to Japanese and Urdu. |
| A Department for Education spokesman said: "We need to bring computational thinking into our schools. Having computer science in the EBacc will have a big impact on schools over the next decade. | A Department for Education spokesman said: "We need to bring computational thinking into our schools. Having computer science in the EBacc will have a big impact on schools over the next decade. |
| "It will mean millions of children learning to write computer code so they are active creators and controllers of technology instead of just being passive users." | "It will mean millions of children learning to write computer code so they are active creators and controllers of technology instead of just being passive users." |