Should Coding Be Made Compulsory in Schools? Here's My Take

We all can't deny the fact that the work is fast evolving and that technology is the driving force and the heart of this evolution, as we can see it in our day-to-day activities. From the way we communicate, learn, work, and even shop, technology plays a major role in everything, and amidst technology is where coding/programming resides, basically known as machine language, although I love to refer to it as the language of technology. Recently, there has been a rising debate as to whether coding and tech should be made compulsory in schools, which I, for one, believe is a good move that'll pave the path of young ones for the future.

Like I said above, I personally believe it's an ideal worth embracing, and my reasons for that aren't far-fetched, which is because coding has evolved from days when it was only meant for software developers or tech geeks. Nowadays, it has become one of the basic literacies in this digital age, and putting it in the same category as reading and writing will become a handy skill kids will grow up to become proud they acquired, as it can go on to shape their lives positively, given the fact that it's a skill that's in high demand in the present-day world.

One misconception I'd like to correct because I see some people talking about it is that learning code at a young age doesn't mean a child must grow up to become a programmer. In my opinion, teaching them this at an early age is giving them the basic tools to understand how the system they use daily works, which ultimately goes on to teach them problem-solving, logic, critical thinking, and creativity, which I believe we all can agree without any atom of doubt are the essential life skills everyone needs regardless of the career path they eventually choose to pursue.

I often ponder on how things would have been different for me had I been introduced to basic tech and coding niches earlier in my life. I mean, here I am today, a tech enthusiast individual, but I still lack concrete knowledge about this thing I so much love. Maybe if I had learned it then, maybe I would have developed a tech-based solution to some real-life challenges I've witnessed around me. To put that into perspective, a few weeks ago I was speaking with a close friend of mine, and during our conversation a business idea came to my mind that could become the next big thing, even changing my status financially, but then it requires having an app or website, and I have none. Meeting a random programmer could lead to my idea being stolen and used for their own gain, whereas if I had the skills, I would have created such an app myself and only sought guidance on how to do some deeper aspects.

Unfortunately for many of us in a country like mine, most of us heard about coding a few years back, when our interests had already been shaped, and little or no time to learn it now due to responsibilities to work, family, and the like, so I for one believe that if coding and tech are being taught in schools, it'll help these kids gain a valid skill that can shape their future, especially in a country like ours where opportunities are limited and unemployment is rising by the day. Tech skills in a country like mine are like a ticket out of poverty for many, so I hope this will begin for students to learn from elementary school so that by the time they grow such will bridge the gap between my country and top world ones, because it'll give students a fair chance in a competitive world.

I must also chip in the fact that knowledgeable teachers in this field should be given the job so that they'll be able to teach it in a fun and engaging way that goes ok to spark interest rather than fear amongst the students. This would help, so we must just implement a way that it would be taught in abstract or theoretically alone; there should be adequate computers for practicals and enough time to practice what has been taught over and over again.

Overall, it's worth noting that I strongly agree with the fact that coding should be a part of our school curriculum, and this isn't said just for the sake of the future but also for the present, and like I said, it's not a scheme to turn every child into a programmer but one that's aimed at preparing them for the kind of world we already live in and knows the demand would only increase, so with that being said, I call for the need to let every child have a foundation in tech; we'll be amazed at the level of confidence and creativity it'll breed in them in navigating the world of tomorrow.

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All photos are taken and edited on canva.

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