Sedbergh Junior School head backs Gove's overhaul of ICT lessons (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Sedbergh Junior School head backs Gove's overhaul of ICT lessons

5:50pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Sedbergh news By Kate Proctor, Reporter

AN independent junior school head has thrown his weight behind education secretary Michael Gove’s overhaul of the school ICT curriculum.

Sedbergh Junior School head Scott Carnochan believes replacing ICT with ‘more rigorous’ computer science will better prepare children for the future.

“I support his view that the current ICT curriculum is harmful and dull,” said Mr Carnochan. “I am aware that many schools have identified the constraints of curriculum and the outdated approach to what was being taught.”

While lessons in how to use PowerPoint, spreadsheets and type Word documents were important, they were not challenging or creative enough.

“Creativity and challenge are key if we are to succeed in the government’s aim of our young people being able to work at the forefront of change,” he said.

Michael Gove hopes to scrap the current ICT curriculum by September and replace it with computer science courses.