Re:Japan adding mandatory programming education to all eleme...
by dmix on Tuesday May 24, 2016 @12:00PM
(#11762625)
> In Japan, English is already mandatory, yet, English fluency sucks.
I can related. French is similarly taught in Canadian schools in all English-speaking provinces and I don't know anyone in Ontario that went through those classes that can speak anything more than a few words.
In my otherwise quality public (catholic) schools the French class was seen as an extra recess where the teachers would always struggle to get the class to focus. The course was always dumbed-down as a result.
The only ones who have any proficiency have studied it outside of school or attended "French-immersion schools" (in Ontario).
The mandatory classes were a waste of time and tax money in my opinion.
Whether programming could succeed I'm not sure, but it shows that there has to be a strong interest from the students to really grasp it - because learning a language, and equally learning programming, requires a strong commitment.
I can related. French is similarly taught in Canadian schools in all English-speaking provinces and I don't know anyone in Ontario that went through those classes that can speak anything more than a few words.
In my otherwise quality public (catholic) schools the French class was seen as an extra recess where the teachers would always struggle to get the class to focus. The course was always dumbed-down as a result.
The only ones who have any proficiency have studied it outside of school or attended "French-immersion schools" (in Ontario).
The mandatory classes were a waste of time and tax money in my opinion.
Whether programming could succeed I'm not sure, but it shows that there has to be a strong interest from the students to really grasp it - because learning a language, and equally learning programming, requires a strong commitment.