<p>Teaching Children to Code</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:30 pm on 9 May 2017.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 1:30, 9 May 2017

In your area. [Laughter.] But when she leaves education, the ability to programme computers will be an essential skill, everything from programming a manufacturing line to designing the next innovation. But the chief inspector of schools found that ICT standards are strong in only a very few schools, and not enough understand the potential of digital learning to aid teaching and learning. Teaching our children to code should not rely on the enthusiasm of the odd teacher, or on a parent’s ability to buy a Raspberry Pi. It must be a key part of what our schools do, or we’ll be left behind. Now, as you indicate, the Donaldson curriculum will, of course, address this, but more than 150,000 young people will graduate the school system without this basic skills before that’s fully implemented. So, would you consider, First Minister, what interim measures you can put in place to ensure that every child in Wales gets the opportunity to learn computer coding as soon as possible?