Coding enrichment classes for all upper primary students next year

Starting next year, enrichment classes in coding will be introduced to all upper primary school pupils in Singapore.

Conducted and co-developed by the Education Ministry and Infocomm Media Development Authority, the 10-hour enrichment programme will be piloted this year at some schools for pupils after their PSLE, before being rolled out to all primary schools by 2020.

Code For Fun (CFF) will develop an appreciation of core computational thinking and coding concepts through simple visual programming-based lessons. This is part of a series of new initiatives announced by Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran at the ministry's annual workplan seminar.

Mr Iswaran stressed that given the context of an uncertain global economy and rapid digitalisation across the globe, Singaporeans must ensure that they remain relevant.

He said at the seminar held at the Suntec Singapore Convention Centre yesterday: "We are also reaching out to every enterprise, every worker, and every citizen, so that we can bring all of them... into this overall national effort so that we can build a digital economy that is made up of enterprises that are digitally capable, empowered by workers who are digitally skilled and citizens who are digitally connected."

The Ministry of Communications and Information said that since the CFF programme was launched as an optional enrichment programme in 2014, it has benefited 93,000 primary and secondary school students, and received positive feedback from students and teachers.

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It added that the programme will continue at the secondary level as an option to complement existing efforts in computing education, which include computing subjects taken at O level (elective) and A level.

Mr Iswaran said that there is a global shortage of talent in the digital economy, but many young Singaporeans are demonstrating interest to enter the technology field, as seen by an increase in enrolment for such courses in our local universities.

He added that in the next three years, about 10,000 jobs will be created in this sector.

YOUTH OUTREACH

Mr Iswaran also announced that the Cyber Security Agency will be expanding its youth engagement outreach with the Singapore Cyber Youth Programme, a collaboration with the cyber security industry and academia.

This programme will reach out to 10,000 secondary and tertiary students in the next three years to provide them with opportunities to explore cyber security as a career and expose them to relevant technical knowledge and soft skills.

Ms Chiam Lee Lee, 44, a teacher and head of department of information and communications technology at Raffles Girls' Primary School, told The New Paper that coding can help students create ideas and solutions that enhance their own lives and the lives of others.