Singapore Redefines Literacy

By Shlomo  Maital

         literacy

   “Kids who read – succeed!”   Of course.  But somehow, technology keeps raising the bar.  It used to be that literacy meant the ability to read and write.  A sad proportion of the world’s kids still can’t read or write.  Today, literacy means, or should mean, computer literacy.  And as usual, Singapore leads the way.

     Singapore has announced plans to start software-programming classes in public schools, so that more students will learn how to write computer programs, according to the website Tech in Asia.

    Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (how many nations even HAVE an infocomm Development Authority???) will introduce computer-coding classes in the schools in the next few months.  The courses could be part of the curriculum, or perhaps an extra-curricular activity.

   Singapore sees developing programming literacy as a “strategic catalyst for Singapore’s competitive advantage”.

    My guess is, programming will become part of the official curriculum. It should be – and it should in other nations as well.  Literacy is no longer the ability to write words.  It is the ability to write computer code.  Let’s imitate Singapore, which as usual has blazed the educational trail for the rest of us.