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Re: [LUG] Computing in Schools..

 

On Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:09:55 +0000 (GMT)
Gordon Henderson wrote:

> 
> Perhaps there is hope after all:
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16493929
> 
> Gordon

It's a good start, but I can't see it coming to fruition easily or
soon. In my experience, I(C)T in schools is almost always 'taught' by
non-specialists - there are exceptions to the rule, but that's always
the case with broad generalisations - and as such there is unlikely to
be a body of I(C)T teachers in schools that are willing or capable of
teaching the 'new' curriculum.

Getting IT specialists in to teach the subject would be the best
option, but that is not going to be an easy task. I, for one, would be
quite happy to go and teach IT in secondary schools, but it would mean
an absolutely massive drop in salary... and that's from someone who is
qualified to teach (I have a PGCE, but in "post compulsory education
and training")! To start out in a secondary school, I believe we're
talking about a salary of something in the region of Â17k or Â18k...
not bad to start with, but for many in IT that would represent a huge
drop.

So where are we going to get these new IT teachers from? Those at Uni
studying IT courses will most likely not know of this proposed change,
and their experience of IT at school will probably put them off going
in to teach it anyway and those in the IT industry are likely to be put
off entering the teaching market by the potentially significant drop in
salary.

Grant.

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