Computer education a must in schools – Pimentel

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) should seriously consider revising the curriculum to ensure that public school students are taught basic computer programming or coding skills that would make the Filipino youth “far more valuable in the 21st century workplace,” Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Tuesday.

The DepEd last week called for a review of the country’s basic education curriculum so that it addresses timely issues like climate change, but Pimentel said the agency should likewise take a closer look at the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP), .

“(Education) Secretary (Leonor) Briones is on the right track by touching on the need to rework the country’s basic education curriculum so that it is responsive to the demands of the times. Today and in the future, the demand for computer programmers who know how to code will grow as society becomes more and more reliant on technology,” he noted.

“We have to act now so that our graduates can progress and thrive. Filipino workers cannot be left behind as the employment landscape continues to evolve. The jobs will be there, and we have to take the necessary steps so that our citizens will be hired for these jobs,” he said. 

Computer programmers write and test code for computer applications software programs, and turn program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that computers can follow.

Pimentel said computer programming or coding is an integral part of businesses across a wide breadth of fields, which is why programmers will have the advantage of working in a virtually unlimited range of industries. 

The senator added that graduates can work not only in information and communications technology companies, but also in other industries as technology becomes a means to improve efficiency and productivity: agriculture, government, service industries and transport.

He said the computer programmers will become more essential as people around the world, not just the Philippines, use technology to perform their daily tasks.

The DCP aims to provide public schools with appropriate technology that will enhance teacher-learning processes and meet challenges of the 21st century; provide hardware, software, e-classrooms and computer laboratory packages to secondary schools; integrate ICT in the school system and raise ICT literacy among students, teachers and school administrators.