The government will re-introduce computer science for GCSE-aged children from 2016 in a bid to help boost the digital economy.
The syllabus will include coding and programming - two skills desperately needed in the UK digital space - in addition to logical and creative thinking and designing programmes such as computer games.
Prime Minister David Cameron revealed the plans for the new qualification yesterday, alongside plans to launch the National College for Digital Skills, which will encourage youngsters to embrace the digital skills they need to work in IT.
The college will open in 2015, playing home to 1,000 students a year. It will initially be based in London with plans to open up branches around the UK in the future. The Tech Partnership, supported by some of the world's tech leaders such as IBM and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, will advise the government on the subjects students should be studying to remain competitive.
In addition to these two educational initiatives, Cameron also revealed the government would launch a 67 million bursary fund towards the university tuition fees of those who wish to pursue a career as a maths or science teacher.
The Prime Minister said 15,000 existing teachers will be retrained to teach scientific subjects and 2,500 additional teachers will be recruited in maths and physics.
"If countries are going to win in the global race and children compete and get the best jobs, you need mathematicians and scientists, pure and simple. So today, we commit to deliver more maths and science teachers," Cameron said.
"This is all part of our long-term economic plan for Britain, making sure our children have the skills they need to thrive and get on," he continued.
Following news of the campaign to get children interested in technology, Cameron launched The Hour of Code campaign that aims to teach kids how to code in just 60 minutes.
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolenNews Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
Lateral moves in tech: Why leaders should support employee mobilityIn-depth Encouraging staff to switch roles can have long-term benefits for skills in the tech sector
-
Starmer bets big on AI to unlock public sector savingsNews AI adoption could be a major boon for the UK and save taxpayers billions, according to prime minister Keir Starmer.
-
UK government targets ‘startup’ mindset in AI funding overhaulNews Public sector AI funding will be overhauled in the UK in a bid to simplify processes and push more projects into development.
-
UK government signs up Anthropic to improve public servicesNews The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Anthropic to explore how the company's Claude AI assistant could be used to improve access to public services.
-
The UK’s AI ambitions face one major hurdle – finding enough home-grown talentNews Research shows UK enterprises are struggling to fill AI roles, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet expectations in the global AI race.
-
US government urged to overhaul outdated technologyNews A review from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found legacy technology and outdated IT systems are negatively impacting efficiency.
-
Government urged to improve tech procurement practicesNews The National Audit Office highlighted wasted money and a lack of progress on major digital transformation programmes
-
Government says new data bill will free up millions of hours of public sector timeNews The UK government is proposing new data laws it says could free up millions of hours of police and NHS time every year and boost the UK economy by £10 billion.
-
Online Safety Act slammed by rights groups as bill gains royal assentNews The Online Safety Act has been described as a veiled attempt to secure access to encrypted messages
