Canada recently introduced coding to their curriculum and why Kenya should follow suit
Computers are everywhere, from the phone you use to watch memes to the matatus (buses) that take us on our daily routines, from nuclear submarines in the deep oceans to the International Space Station, from the machines used to milk cows to the toys that you trip on when your kids leave them on the ground.
And that’s only the beginning, we are set to see computers incorporated into almost everything ranging from a computer in your fridge that tells you when your milk is over to things like Elon Musk’s implantable brain machine interfaces!!
Coding is how we are able to communicate and manipulate these technologies but only 0.5 % of people in the world can code 😦. Coding is a relatively new field and with emergence of industries like Google and Twitter who employ thousand of developers and an emergence in new technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Block Chain we are set to see more than 1 million coding jobs than people to fill them, especially in Africa which has the lowest percentage of developers worldwide.
Coding is how we are able to communicate and manipulate these technologies but only 0.5 % of people can code .
Canada has found a way to help curb this. In one of their provinces, Ontario, they introduced coding into their grade 1 curriculum and I believe Kenya should do the same because:
1. Coding is fun
As an app developer one of the things that give me the most joy is pressing the run button and seeing my app come to life. From having a blank screen to having interactive buttons and texts it feels like watching a plant who’s seed you planted grow and flourish.
You can also make cool things like animations and games from simple programs.
2. Coding makes you smarter
Learning coding helps improve literacy skills, writing skills and arithmetic skills because it is built around these skills.
3.It makes you resilient
At first when you start programming you will fail a lot , you will run the program and a number of errors will appear, who am I kidding errors will appear even when you become an expert coder but what coding will teach you is how to be tough and find the solutions to your problems. It hence…
4.Improves problem solving skills
From constant failure you will learn to be like a phoenix and emerge from the ashes whenever a problem arises not only in coding but also in life.
5.Coding is the future
Augmented reality, virtual reality ,block chain, Artificial Intelligence , to name a few are one of the upcoming technologies that are set to revolutionize the future. Let us be part of that future!
While the government is yet to see this importance some platforms have come up that help kids learn to code in Kenya especially now during the pandemic where it would be great for kids to acquire some soft skills.
Kids Comp Camp
We as Kids Comp Camp have been teaching kids from under privileged communities to type and code and have built up a roaster of qualified teachers who love teaching kids. We are now giving one on one interactive classes where kids can learn to make animated cartoons, apps, websites and games.
Many of us who went through the normal curriculum saw that it does not favor every one and that’s why a number of parents are choosing to home school their kids.Why? Because they feel they can give them actual skills that they can use in life like baking and learning languages. Coding is one of the skills that are proving to be very essential.
Technology is fast paced and one of the driving factors to a great economy. As Africans we cannot be left behind in this footrace. If we are to emerge from being third world countries and join the rest of the world in the production of technologies that change the world we must start early and give our children the tools to take on the new technological age that we live in.
