Primary-school children should be learning how to use technology earlier in their school career, according to an influential new government review.
The review by Sir Jim Rose, a former inspector with schools watchdog Ofsted, found that IT teaching has failed to keep pace with young people's increasing computer literacy.
The report recommends that ICT modules that are taught in key stage 3 — when pupils are between the ages of 11 and 14 — should be brought forward and taught to children in key stage 2, when they are aged between 7 and 11.
The report states: "The primary and secondary programmes of study for ICT should be scrutinised in order to provide a better fit with children's developing abilities."
It is important to ensure that technology is at the core of the primary-school curriculum, along with literacy and numeracy, according to the Rose report.
"It will also be increasingly important that children have the ICT skills which will enable them to apply the technology of the future and meet the challenges of an uncertain world with confidence and flexibility. A sound grasp of ICT is fundamental to engagement in society, and the foundations for this engagement must be laid in primary schools," the report adds.
The review also recommends the use of ICT to help teachers cope with the demands of teaching a broad curriculum.
The report is an interim review into the primary curriculum and was conducted by Rose at the behest of Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families.
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Balls said in a statement: "Parents of our generation probably don't realise, for example, how fast children are picking up computer skills today. We need 21st-century schools which make the most of the opportunities technology offers our computer-savvy youngsters."
Rose described the report as a "work in progress". A final version is due next year. A revised curriculum based on the report could come by 2011.
Comments on the review are invited via the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website.
Talkback
hmm, nice idea in theory, but as always with teaching, there are some issues to be considered...
after several years teaching in secondary schools, I've seen students come with widely varying skills; whilst some are confident with computers, some don't even know how to switch one on because they've never experienced use in their primary school!
In order for this fanciful plan, schools MUST be given decent funding to set up proper ICT suites which allow students to learn properly. Given the complexity of the KS3 curriculum, decent equipment is not an option...
there also needs to be considered the impact of such proposals on secondary schools; what are we to do if students have already been taught KS3 material in primary school? And are we to be given more money to upgrade our facilities to teach them advanced skills? Because until money is spent, it doesn't matter how grand a scheme the government comes up with, they're always going to fail...