The Department for Education's (DfE) new English National Curriculum framework is "too focused on the development side of computing", Joanna Poplawska of The Corporate IT Forum's Education and Skills Commission has told Computing.
While Poplawska called the curriculum, which from 2014 will see children learning to code from five years old, a "step in the right direction", she believes traditional information technology teaching "seems to be absent", and may have been sacrificed in favour of the development side of computing.
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"For the majority of employers, who are technology users not makers, information technology is a core area of study that should be given equal emphasis to computer science," said Poplawska.
The Corporate IT Forum's Education and Skills Commission (E&SC), which Poplawska co-founded in 2012 to tackle a growing ICT skills crisis, believes there is a "significant need" among employers to see "operational skills" in future employees across the board, and not just in the area of ICT.
Poplawska believes the discipline of information technology should be given "equal emphasis to computer science", something she feels the new curriculum's 'Computing Programme of Study' does not do.
"The E&SC would welcome the inclusion of computing and information technology across all subject teaching and not just restricted to the Computing Programme of Study," said Poplawska.
"From a business perspective, organisations are interested in a real transformation of teaching and that covers all areas of education. There must be a balance of skills to ensure employers' future needs from society are met. It is not just about technical skills - but how these skills can be executed in a business context, when approaching team work, in communication, when analysing problems and more."
Crispin Weston, chairman of the British Standards Institute's IST/34 committee for education, learning and training, concurred, telling Computing:
"The current draft of the National Curriculum for computing is specific when it comes to computational thinking - vague when it comes to digital skills.
"Knowing about Boolean logic is great - but it is also important to be able to manage tracked changes in a document, manipulate formulas in a spreadsheet, contribute to online discussions about a work assignment, and know the difference between vector and bitmap graphics."
Weston maintained that "none of these is mentioned by what are frankly woolly targets for digital skills. This will not help schools make productive use of computers for learning across the curriculum. Nor is it likely to do any favours to those opting for IT-related vocational courses in Key Stage 4."
Poplawska also drew attention to the technical skills gap affecting teachers who will now be called upon to teach coding.
"Research indicates that only 35 per cent already in the profession are formally qualified," said Poplawska.
"Without investment in CPD [continuing professional development] and teachers themselves, due to the fast pace of technology change, there is a danger that teachers will not have the technological ability to implement a new curriculum. We must remember that 'how to teach' is just as important as 'what to teach'."
Poplawska would also like to see more detail about funding for such teaching.
"There is a danger within a technology-based subject that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds will not have access to the latest technologies to help them develop further in this subject area," she said.
"Adequate funding must be made available to all schools to ensure equal access to technology that will allow pupils' learning to develop, irrespective of their personal background."
