Cat Hackforth asks whether poor teaching in schools is
damaging high-tech industries
Schools in the UK arc failing to equip
young people with the skills they need to succeed in high-tech industries
according to Ofsted and NESTA (the National Endowment for Technology and the
Arts).
Ofsted inspectors visited 90 primary and 74
secondary schools throughout the UK to assess achievement, teaching, curriculum
provision and leadership in ICT (www.bit.ly/ zOW3JA). They observed lessons,
scrutinised pupils’s work and held discussions with pupils and teachers.
The inspectors found that ICT teaching was
good or outstanding in nearly two thirds of primary schools visited, and
although there were some weaknesses, these were at reads’ being addressed.
Inadequate teaching
Secondary schools fared less well. Problems
cited include limited teacher capability in sti1jects like programming, and
repetition of work from previous years. Teaching was ‘inadequate’ in almost a
fifth of the schools assessed.
Ofsted’s recommendations to the Department
for Education include setting out the importance of ICT in further education
and careers. Schools were advised to provide courses that match students’
abilities, engage with local businesses and encourage more girls to study the
subject.
“In a world that is becoming increasingly
reliant on technology, young people need [...] the opportunity to learn ICF
skills in an interesting, challenging and relevant way” said Her Majesty’s
Chief Inspector Miriam Rose.
Common concern
The complaint is becoming a familiar one.
Early last year, NESTA reported that although video games and digital animation
are among the UK’S top growth industries, the country is losing its competitive
edge due to flawed university courses that fail to deliver skills necessary in
a rapidly changing sector. The Next Gen report (www.bit.ly/ys2yaN) recommends
changes across the board, from compulsory computer science lessons to
recruiting international talent to fill the skills gap.
Professional certifications could be one
way of providing young people with the specific training needed in a highly
competitive workplace and establishing connections with technology businesses.
Adobe is one of many companies that offer professional certification, anti has
commissioned a study on the importance of creativity in the classroom in
response to Ofsted’s report. Young people face a tough time ahead in what is an
extremely competitive job market,” says Liz Wilkins, senior marketing manager
for Adobe Education UK. With university fees set to increase, more students may
choose to go straight into employment after completing their secondary
education. But there is a question mark over how many of them vi11 have the
necessary skills to meet the demands of the workplace. The pressure is on for
schools to equip students with skills that will give them the edge over other
job seekers.
Change of focus
However, the UK Commission for Employment
and Skills has suggested that the issue may be one of reputation rather than
teaching. While some employers in high-level science, technology and maths
(STEM) fields say recent graduates are lacking key skills, it says that the
majority are satisfied with the quality of teaching in UK schools and
universities. Indeed, a report by the commission suggests that there may be an
oversupply of graduates in STEM subjects. The commission recommends that
policy-makers consider “how best to communicate that the supply of high-level
STEM skills in the UK has improved and is now among the best internationally,
and that the debate now needs to focus on particular sub-sectors and subjects.”
There is clearly a need for change - what’s
in question is the level at which it needs to take place. Wherever improvements
are made, the decline in this major industry needs to be addressed quickly if
we are to avoid falling further behind.
