IMO: The benefits of implementing required computer science curriculum in schools

In American schools, the school district curriculum requires every course to have a possible career path.

Having this opportunity allows students to decide what type of career they would like to pursue in the future. However, do schools have all the necessary classes that are needed for students to succeed in their future?

For instance, for those determined students interested in becoming a doctor, there are required science classes such as biology and chemistry students must take.

For those hard-working students interested in becoming an athlete, there is a compulsory physical education (PE) class that all students must take. In addition to the PE class, schools offer a lot of sports such as basketball, track, football and basketball. These sports are very engaging for students who want to become athletes.

For those ambitious students wanting to become engineers, schools offer a variety of math classes ranging from algebra to AP calculus. Since math is a fundamental aspect of engineering students will be able to develop more passion for engineering by taking math classes early in their academic careers.

Finally, for those creative-minded students wanting to become artists, schools require one fine arts class in which allows students to pursue art at an early age.

Thus, it might seem that schools require every course that has a possible career outlook. However, there is one course that seems to be missing in the curriculum.

The missing course in the curriculum is none other than computer science. I feel that intermediate and high schools should require at least one computer science course as part of their curriculum. This is because, in the 21st century, there has been an extreme rise in the use oftechnology; therefore, our world needs talented leaders skilled in software development, cybersecurity and programming to further develop our world for the better.

For example, we use a lot of technological products every day such as phones, laptops, and tablets. These products were invented by intelligent people who had strong computer science skills and experience. Therefore, these skills should be introduced to students early in their academic careers.

Introducing computer skills at an early age can help students develop more interest and passion for computer science which can deepen their curiosity and love for wanting to learn more about computer science. Furthermore, an early start deepens critical thinking skills and increases computer literacy which is important in every career path.

Statistics from Bureau of Labor Statistics show that most students majoring in computer science at a 4-year institution are men. There are not a lot of women in computer science. I believe the reason for this gender gap is because girls are not being introduced to computer science at an early age in school. By introducing computer science to girls at an early age, they can have more access to opportunities and be part of this new technology developing world.

Therefore, a strong understanding of computation, software and hardware functions will open students to many possible future opportunities. A few of the top companies in the world are Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft which are all computer science oriented. This will ensure that students will have many job opportunities because computer science jobs are increasingly on the rise. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that from 2020 to 2030, computer science job outlook is projected to grow 22%, which is much faster than the average of all the other jobs.

A lot of schools are now implementing a computer science curriculum in intermediate and high schools because of these reasons. I am eagerly waiting for more schools to do the same so that our world can have more innovative computer scientists, software engineers, computer engineers, web developers, security analysts, data scientists and computer network architects who will all develop the latest technology to help better our world and the quality of people’s lives!

I believe that advanced technology is what our world needs, especially during this global pandemic. Therefore, schools should establish a computer science curriculum, so that our next generation of leaders can have the knowledge to establish that positive change in our world through technology!

As Steve Jobs once said, “everyone should know how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.”