Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has reviewed the operation of any primary or post-primary computer science education programmes in EU and OECD partner States, for example, the new programming curriculum in Estonia where students from age seven upwards will be taught how to code; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11760/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The NCCA which advises me on curriculum and assessment for early childhood education and for primary and post-primary schools is aware of this development, and other similar code literacy initiatives. The Estonian initiative is a pilot project. Similar work is also taking place in a number of Irish primary schools involving "Scratch" and other programming languages. The NCCA is engaging with these initiatives in relation to their implications for the curriculum as a whole. Currently the NCCA is developing a short course that includes coding/ programming which will be available to schools for their Junior Cycle programme from September 2014. Through participation in this course it is expected that they will learn core computational concepts. All the key skills in the Framework for Junior Cycle highlight the use of digital technology. It will permeate the experiences of all Junior Cycle students as the new Framework is implemented.