As the Okanagan Skaha School District moves ahead with closing three schools, the province has announced a $6 million investment in training for teachers to teach coding and a new curriculum as well as for computers for classrooms.
"Supporting the new curriculum just makes sense, for our students today and for our success as a province tomorrow," Premier Christy Clark said as she announced the targeted education funding in Burnaby Friday. She and Education Minister Mike Bernier were attending a showcase of coding and robotics projects by grades 4 to 7 students at an elementary school.
By the end of Grade 9, every student in British Columbia will take a module of basic coding under B.C.'s new curriculum. According to the province's press release, the new curriculum takes the approach that coding is a hands-on way of teaching students how to analyze a problem, determine the steps to fix that problem and then create directions so a machine can carry out those steps.
These are vital analysis and critical thinking skills for future success, according to the province.
"The world is changing and we need to move forward so students have the skills they need to succeed in that changing world," Bernier said. "Preparing our kids for their future is our most important job, and getting teachers trained to teach coding and the new curriculum is just one way we are doing that."
The $6-million funding breaks down into three parts: $2 million for teacher training, specifically for the coding curriculum, another $2 million to help school districts purchase equipment and resources to support coding instruction and $2 million to help teachers bring the new curriculum to their classrooms, and the dedicated professional training time (worth $100 million) made available to teachers over three years.
"This is great news for educators and students across our province. Learning to code and the critical thinking skills it develops has multiple benefits for young minds," said Patrick Sauriol, executive director of DigiBC, a provincial industry association for digital media and wireless companies.
"Children throughout B.C. will learn technology fundamentals that they can use to pursue interesting and high-paying careers, such as creating video games, the next generation of robotics, or new technologies for established B.C. industries, like forestry, mining or energy production."
Each district will decide when students, between grades 6 to 9, will do the coding module which forms part of the Applied Design, Skills and Technologies curriculum. Part of the funding will allow a number of key educators in every district to get intensive training and become the trainers in their own communities, for their own colleagues.