Government initiative signals major overhaul of ICT curriculum

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts yesterday announced an industry-funded trial of a new computing curriculum that will be backed up by rigorously assessed GCSEs and A-levels.

He made the announcement at the British Science Festival in Bradford. The new GCSE and A-levels will cover computational principles, systemic thinking, software development and logic.

Coursework will develop deep analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Industry-backed challenges will encourage creativity, entrepreneurship and team work.

The exams will be designed to be challenging, as educationalists and employers think this is more likely to motivate students.

The trial, dubbed "Behind the Screen", will be led by technology skills body e-Skills in collaboration with many of its partners in industry and education. Partners include Microsoft, Capgemini, Google, IBM, the BBC, Cisco, Deloitte, HP, John Lewis, Logica, the Metropolitan Police Service, Procter & Gamble and Sainsbury's.

Many of these businesses will contribute staff, learning resources and ideas to aid the initiative.

The first stage of the trial will see a new GCSE be run from November to June 2012 and involve 20 schools, 100 students and a number of teachers who have volunteered to take part.

An as yet unnamed awards body will work alongside the pilot to establish a mechanism for assessment.

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