The government of Kenya, in partnership with Kodia Africa, has approved the introduction of a new syllabus for teaching coding in primary, and secondary schools. Children in Kenya will now have an opportunity to learn coding and computer programming in public schools after the government officially unveiled coding teaching content.
The new content will be implemented across primary and secondary schools in the country, under the Kenyan national digital master plan 2022-2032. It will be applied in conjunction with the ministry of education and ICT authority, through the Digital Literacy Program (DLP).
Speaking at the launch of Kodris Africa, the Minister of ICT, Innovation and youth affairs, Mr. Joe Mucheru lauded the initiative which he described as a game-changer that would enable schools to produce future coding experts.
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In his words, “This is a great day for the country, especially for our children who will now have the opportunity to learn coding and computer programming at an early age. The world is changing and everyone is going digital, and Kenya will not want to be left behind as the globe goes digital”.
The ministry of ICT also unveiled a new government-driven digital skills training which is aimed at equipping 20 million Kenyans with relevant digital skills to enable citizens to operate effectively under the digital economy.
This is a very laudable move from the government of Kenya, for introducing coding into the syllabus of primary and secondary schools in their country. From smart and connected devices, to AI-powered apps, a lot has happened and is still happening in the world of technology.
As a result of these disruptions, several new careers are being generated, as well as many existing job profiles are being redefined. Coding is no doubt one of the top skills in the world today, which the present and future generations need to acquire, to enable young pupils and students develop problem-solving abilities, such as solving a problem rationally and imaginatively.
With the recent technological advancements in the world today, it is important for schools to include different tech skills in their syllabus to enable these young ones learn them from an early age, which will be a very big advantage unlike when it is learned at an advanced age.
Kenya has already taken the lead over other African countries to include a tech skill (coding) in its syllabus. This will no doubt propel the country forward and give them a competitive edge in today’s digital world. Kenya is doing everything possible not to be left behind as the globe goes digital, which is very commendable.
Following the rate of unemployment which is common among the youths, especially in most African countries, including any of the tech skills into their school syllabus will better their employment chance and also enable them to create jobs for themselves.
Unfortunately, Nigeria fondly called the “Giant of Africa” continues to teach its school pupils and students with an obsolete syllabus. Most of what is being taught in primary and secondary schools has no relevance in today’s world.
Even though the country has the largest number of tech start-ups, the government of Nigeria is not seizing the opportunity to develop talents from schools at all levels. The country is always comfortable with playing catch up with any technological advancement.
The world is gradually drifting to a place where to actively compete, countries must be digitally inclined. Therefore, the Nigerian government must see the need to include these high in-demand tech skills in its school syllabus, so that the country will not be left behind as the world goes digital.
Also, doing so will allow the school pupils and students to choose from a vast career options such as programmers, coders, Data Analyst, Cybersecurity Expert, etc, unlike the old syllabus that is conventional which forces these children to choose from limited career options which will no doubt negatively affect them in the future.
Time is ticking, the future is gradually going digital. The best time for countries in Africa to create a coding curriculum in schools was yesterday, the second-best time is now.