Coding in School: How will coding skills help students build a strong career ahead

With the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP), students will get coding lessons in schools from class 6th onwards. Coding is a language for software programming. In the digital era, computers, software, and machines have become an essential part of our lives. Coding jobs or people who code are paid well in the industry. The inclusion of coding in the school syllabus is expected to bring a new revolution in the education system of India. 

Sarvee Diwan, Vice President of Toppr Codr in conversation with Republic World discussed the basics of coding and the benefits of learning to code in school and the future of coding, and much more. For all those who are wondering about coding and are curious to know everything about it, read on. 

What is Coding?

Coding, also known as software programming or computer programming is a creative process performed by programmers to tell a computer how to perform a task. The language in which these instructions are communicated is called the computer language. Python, C, and JavaScript are a few examples of coding languages used to communicate with the computer. 

Who can learn to code and how does it benefit the school-going kids. What are the benefits of starting to learn coding at such an early age?

Even though one can learn coding at any age, similar to a foreign language, coding skills are best learned early. Teaching children to code has shown to strengthen their computational thinking skills, thus giving them an advantage in subjects like math and writing. It also helps foster creativity and builds collaboration skills from an early age. By turning kids into inspired 'creators', coding allows them to interact in new ways with the digital world they live in. When children see they can create something from scratch, it is the ultimate "a-ha." 

Coding as a Career

How will Coding benefit the students in the future?

Code fuels our world’s technology. From microprocessors in everyday items like TV to water heaters to advanced programs that are used to build cars, ships, and space shuttles, learning to code has become an essential skill that makes you future-ready. The knowledge of coding enables kids to adapt to the 21st-century workforce centered around computational technologies like AI, VR, AR, ML, Blockchain, IoT, and Robotics.

How is it different from an engineering/ B.tech course?

A B.Tech degree in computer science is the academic way of becoming a software engineer. A software engineer is often called a developer or a coder however the role of a software engineer is much more unique in the development cycle of technology products. While there tends to be overlap between a coder and an engineer, the critical distinction is the formal training engineers receive. Software engineers are responsible for the big picture; they evaluate client or company needs in combination with those of the user and conceptualize solutions. 

What are the career options open for students after learning to code?

Pretty much every device, electronic item, and modern piece of machinery contains at least a little bit of code. As the number of use cases for coding grows, the number of coding jobs available will also continue to grow. In a world that is dominated by tech, many positions require some form of a coding skillset. However, professions like software engineer, AI/VR creator, autonomous and electrical car engineers, data scientists, and mobile app developers use coding every day to come up with products making use of cutting-edge technology. 

How Indian Kids are becoming entrepreneurs through coding.

Over the past few years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of kids taking coding classes while still in school. As children are getting exposed to technology at a much younger age than their parents, schools have also begun teaching programming as early as 3rd standard. Since today's 21st century needs innovators, with coding children are developing apps and products making use of cutting-edge technology. In coding, kids get to see what their codes create helping their creativity get a boost. When they get to play the games they create or see their peers using their apps, kids feel accomplished. All they need is the right guidance and keep on practising what they learn.

Exposing students at the K-12 level to advanced technology is a way of preparing them to adapt to the future.

There are few better ways to prepare kids for the future than learning to code. Valuable, if not necessary in the 21st century, coding for kids helps them develop academically, building perseverance and organization, skills that can translate into a career. It enables children to enter the world of new-age technology by giving them an arena to develop apps and games or work in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence

Coding is a basic literacy in the digital age, and it’s important for kids to understand – and be able to innovate with – the technology around them. There’s a high demand for workers with coding skills in the tech industry; mastering code at a young age allows kids to excel in any field they choose!
(Photo by Arif Riyanto on Unsplash)