Abstract, theoretical computing qualifications are turning teens off

BCS calls for digital literacy GCSE alongside Computer Science

The UK's professional body for the IT workforce has called for a more "inclusive" digital literacy age-16 qualification alongside Computer Science, which it says is "theoretical and demanding."

In its submission to the government's review of the school curriculum, the British Computer Society said schools needed a new digital literacy qualification focused on AI and modern tech skills, alongside an improved Computer Science GCSE.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, schoolchildren take GCSEs when they are 16. Pupils should acquire digital skills and be taught to get the best out of tools like ChatGPT so they can succeed in life and modern careers, the chartered institute said.

However, too many were put off by the current Computer Science GCSE. A BCS analysis of Department for Education data found that 94 percent of girls and 79 percent of boys in England drop computing as soon as they can, at 14 years old.

To avoid so many pupils potentially missing out on digital skills, the BCS proposes a new qualification to sit alongside computer science, which would continue to teach the fundamentals of computing.

The BCS defines digital literacy as the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to make confident, creative, and effective use of digital technologies and systems, and make well-informed critical judgments about the implications and impact of how digital technology – including AI and social media – is used.

Julia Adamson, BCS education and public benefit managing director, said: "The computing curriculum is abstract and unmotivating, and it doesn't show teenagers how the subject can be applied to solve the world's big challenges. The curriculum needs updating to reflect this and to include areas like AI and data analysis, as well as an understanding of the huge social and economic impact of computing.

"We've proposed an accessible digital literacy qualification for everyone alongside the [Computer Science] GCSE; not everyone will go on to become computer scientists or work as developers but everyone deserves to be able to do the basics to live and work. There is space to address both these ambitions."

The GCSE contained out-of-date content about networks and internet protocols that could be removed from the specification to make way for more exciting material, Adamson said.

In response to the Department for Education's curriculum review, BCS said the current Computer Science GCSE works for a narrow group of students due to its theoretical focus.

It said that practical assessments, such as on-computer exams, would better represent students' programming skills and align with real-world applications, encouraging teachers to integrate more hands-on programming tasks alongside theory.

"The current GCSE in Computer Science is theoretical and demanding, emphasizing recall of knowledge rather than application, and not serving the subject well. Much of the content, such as CPU functionality and fetch-decode-execute cycles, is abstract and challenging for students, overshadowing practical exposure to emerging technologies like AI," the submission [PDF] said.

It also pointed out that it is possible to pass the GCSE Computer Science course while doing very little – if any – programming on a computer.

"The most authentic way to assess candidates' practical application of their knowledge and skills is through creating real programs," the submission said.

Earlier this year, a study [PDF] by King's College London, the Nuffield Foundation, and Reading University also recommended broadening the GCSE curriculum and better teacher training and professional development in the subject. ®