[Sussex] Worth a read

[Geoff Teale]

Mark..

..hopefully the last I'll post on this, because I think we're all saying
the same thing from different corners.

<snip>
> Of course, this is a matter of degree, and there will be "basic skills" that
> should be taught to everyone, but here's the question - who decides on this?
> Is there a consensus? Which of the following are "MUST HAVE" skills for the
> 21st Century:
> 
> - Addition
> - Subtraction
> - Algebra
> - Calculus
> - Spelling
> - Punctuation
> - Grammar
> - Debating
> - Logic
> - A foreign language
> - Understanding of a foreign culture
> - Citizenship
> - Financial literacy
> - Doctrine of personal responsibility
> - Personal creativity
> - Abstract pattern recognition
> - Chemistry
> - Electronics
> - Boolean logic
> - The Von Neumann architecture and Turing machines
> - Music appreciation
> - eMail skills

It can be boiled down into broader topics:

Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology)
Mathematics
English 
Creative Arts
Business Studies
Computing
Electronics
Languages

...When I went to school all of those subjects were available, some of
them were core curriculum (Science, Maths, English, Creative Arts)
others were options, you chose based on your preference and what you
felt you might do with your life.   This is not ideal, but it was OK. 
The problem however is not what subjects they taught but what those
subjects covered.  

Computing at my school was Word Processing and Spreadsheets on an RM
Nimbus 8086 (this was around 1993).  Business studies at my school was
Marketing Plans, Word Processing and Spreadsheets on an ancient
Amstrad.  Electronics was pointlessly trivial.  The other subjects were
all taught relatively well.  

The real problem of IT eduction, and indeed electronics and business
studies, is that the people who know what is important, and how to teach
it aren't involved in teaching it - they mostly work elsewhere earning a
lot more money.  The government meanwhile listen to businesses who
demand kids leave school with whatever skill is fashionable this week (I
know the IT industry has seriously suggested that we teach kids about
CISCO kit and we already specifically teach kids about MS Word and MS
Excel rather than about generic computing skills.  
-- 
GJT 
gteale at cmedltd.com 
-- 
Don't force it, get a larger hammer. -- Anthony