Computer Science added to English Baccalaureate
"Having Computer Science in the EBacc will have a big impact on schools over the next decade"
Education Secretary, Michael Gove has confirmed that Computer Science will be part of the new English Baccalaureate qualification, becoming the "fourth science" alongside biology, chemistry and physics.
Pupils will be able to choose any three of the four sciences to satisfy EBacc requirements.
"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," said a Department for Education spokesperson.
"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 be great for education, great for the economy, and will help restore the spirit of Alan Turing and make Britain a world leader again."
Google, which recently donated 15,000 Raspberry Pi computers to British schools, was pleased with the decision.
'This has been a good week for computer science education in the UK. Yesterday we were pleased to be able to make a donation of 15,000 Raspberry Pi's to school pupils in the UK," it said in a statement.
"Today's announcement that computer science will be part of the EBacc marks a significant further investment in the next generation of British computer scientists."
Trade body UKIE is also celebrating the government's decision to make Computer Science part of the new English Baccalaureate qualification
"Getting Computer Science accepted as a subject on the English Baccalaureate could be transformational," said UKIE vice chair Ian Livingstone CBE.
It is a huge victory for the Next Gen Skills campaign and our partners.Computer Science is now officially the 4th science, on a par with the other sciences, and a core subject for children to learn. This will help ensure that this country produces a new generation of digital makers, not just for the games industry, but for all creative and digital industries. The legacy of Alan Turing lives on!"
Livingstone has pushed hard for better computer science education as co-chair of Next Gen Skills campaign.