Apple CEO Tim Cook has commented that coding should be taught as a second language to all primary school children. He said that failure to teach students how to code at a very young age would be a "disservice."
Coding As A Second Language To Primary School Children
Wired reports that Tim Cook told the audience of the Startup Fest Europe in Amsterdam that coding should be introduced to all primary school children alongside with the alphabet. The Apple CEO said that just like any other language, coding should be taught to children at an early age as it is the perfect timing to stimulate their interest in the subject matter.
"Coding should be a requirement at schools. We are doing our kids a disservice if we are not introducing them to coding," Tim Cook commented.
The Apple CEO explained that there is a growing need to teach primary school children how to code because coding is being "absorbed by everything." He added that students who are taught to code at an early age will acquire deeper and thorough understanding of the logic and advanced thinking behind programming, a skill that will be massively in-demand in the future.
Tim Cook also pointed out that there is a need to invest in people who can properly teach coding to primary school children. "We can't expect our children to learn coding overnight, as they will need the proper guidance and environment to do so," the Apple CEO stated.
America Failed To Teach Children How To Code
In the past years, America has exerted several efforts to introduce coding to children. But according to Idit Harel, an entrepreneur and CEO of Globaloria, schools in the U.S. lack strong curriculum that will enable kids to achieve deep and broad mastery of coding. She said that American children's learning was limited to the "light and fluffy version" of coding.
"We are doing a disservice to kids by assuming that they can't grasp industry-standard languages, complex computer science topics, and applications," Harel opined. "By limiting them, we undermine their capabilities and stifle their creative and inventive potential."
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