The topic of coding has been kicked around several times, as there is no dedicated educational program in place which teaches codes how to code. Apple CEO Tim Cook feels there is a growing need for such a platform, as it is equally as important as learning a secondary language.
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Coding At A Young Age Needs To Be Stimulated
Earlier today, Startup Fest was kicked off in Amsterdam, and Apple CEO Tim Cook was one of the prominent speakers for the day. It did not take long before he touched upon the subject of stimulating children to learn coding at a very early age, and how schools need to develop an educational course on programming.
Tim Cook explained his vision for education as follows:
“Software development should be a mandatory class. We need to invest in the educational system, and people who can teach young kids how to code. We can’t expect our children to learn coding overnight, as they will need the proper guidance and environment to do so. Children aged nine to ten are the perfect demographic for stimulating an interest in coding and programming.”
This is quite an interesting statement, considering the educational system has not scaled well with the Information Age we live in right now. The methods of passing on knowledge have not changed much over the past thirty years, and children are not being prepared for the future that awaits. Coders are in high demand already, and it is expected that demand will only continue to grow.
Tim Cook also mentioned how there are plenty of opportunities for iOS developers in the enterprise sector. Most employees of big companies use their smartphone for emails and browsing the Internet, because there is a lack of enterprise apps.. The number of iOS apps for the enterprise sector is still relatively small, and Apple sees a lot of opportunities in this segment.
It is impossible to deny the educational system will need to change sooner or later. Coding has become a part of our society, and we need to prepare future generations for the challenges that await. Not everyone will take a liking to coding, and there is nothing wrong with that. But education needs to evolve over time, and it has failed miserably in doing so over the past few decades.
What are your thoughts on sparking an interest in coding at a young age? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Tweakers (Dutch)
Images courtesy of Tim Cook, Shutterstock