TeenCoders has announced the introduction of free coding classes to all the public schools in Rivers State. In a statement made available to TechCity, the organizers of the project said the feat makes Rivers state to be the first in Nigeria where an organization has independently launched a free coding program for public schools, primary and secondary section.
#CodeForSchoolsNG, which is an initiative of TeenCoders, will ensure that every child in school, (especially pupils in public schools in low income, grassroots communities) will learn how to code a computer, the same way they learn Mathematics, English and other compulsory subjects.
The aim of the #CodeForSchoolsNG project is that coding should be made a subject from elementary level in Nigeria.
Funding for the project is provided by individuals and organizations while the computers for the project were provided by the state.
“12% of all job openings and 16.3% of all new wages in the developing world are in computing fields. And aside from the jobs, nations broadly realize that computer science is increasingly foundational to all 21st century careers,” TeenCoders stated.
They argued that as at 2016, in 148 developed economies of the world, (including UK, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, Russia, USA), to boost competitiveness and wellbeing, coding classes are mandatory for students between the ages of 5 and 16. These classes include learning creative computing, problem solving etc.
“Presently, no state in Nigeria is offering coding to pupils from the lower primary level. Lagos is the only state in Nigeria that is implementing coding for Upper Primary and Secondary schools.”
The #CodeForSchoolsNG’s curriculum is reportedly designed around four frameworks: Problem Solving Skills, Computational Thinking Skills, Personal Capability Skills and Programming Skills.
“Each module in the framework is integrated into the projects developed by the pupils. It is believed that starting a greater percentage of the kids early in coding, is key in determining the socio-economic development of the nation,” TeenCoders stated.
| COMPUTER STUDIES | CODING |
| Use Microsoft Word to type and edit documents | Create Microsoft Word |
| Download and Play Games | Create the Game |
| Take pictures with Selfie app | Create the Selfie App |
Basic difference between computer studies and coding.