Every state-sector primary and secondary school across Scotland will get support to refresh computing science for pupils.
Backed by up to £1.3 million from the Scottish government, secondary schools can bid for grants of up to £3,000 to purchase additional computing science equipment, devices, software or teaching resources.
Every school will also receive two class sets of pocket-sized computers that introduce students to how software and hardware work together.
The Scottish government said it was making the investment in response to the 2020 independent Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, which recommended increased funding to improve computing science provision in schools.
Investment in computing science
The review - led by the University of Glasgow’s Professor Mark Logan, a former chief operating officer of technology company Skyscanner - called for computing science to be treated “seriously” and “with the same focus” as maths or physics “from first year at secondary school”. It highlighted that “the number of computing science teachers in our schools is falling. as is the number of pupils taking the subject”.
Education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It is essential that we have as many talented young people leaving schools with the skills Scotland’s technology sector and wider economy fundamentally depends upon.
“This investment aims to refresh computing science lessons for learners - equipping them with the skills they need for careers in tech.”
Toni Scullion and Brendan McCart, of Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) - set up at the University of Glasgow to spread best practice in school computing science, after a Scottish government grant of £67,500 - said: “We are delighted to be appointed as co-leads of STACS.
“This is an incredible opportunity for computing science and we are looking forward to working with the dedicated teachers across Scotland who are delivering computing science in schools.”
They added: “This initiative recognises the importance of computing science as a subject in schools and the integral part it plays in Scotland’s ambition for a digital nation.
“Computing science in education has a key role in helping to engage, nurture and inspire the next generation of talent, and that journey starts in the classroom.”
Professor Logan, who is chairing the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, said: “It’s vital to the future supply of talent into Scotland’s tech sector that computing science at school level is elevated to the same level of importance as other Stem subjects.
”The additional funding for computing science announced by the Scottish government and the formation of STACS, which makes teachers major participants in advancing the subject in Scotland, are key building blocks on the way to that goal.”
