Government urged to invest in computing education
A new report by The Royal Society finds that over half of English schools do not offer GCSE computer science, leaving young people without the opportunity to learn programming and algorithm skills.
It found that 54 per cent of English schools do not offer computer science GCSE and that England meets 68 per cent of its recruitment target for entries into computing teacher training courses. This is lower than physics.
Only one in five computer science GCSE pupils were female.
Following the report, the government has been urged to invest £60 million into computing education over the next years.
The society states that without additional investment “an entire generation may never unlock the full potential of new technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning”.
Professor Steve Furber FRS, who led the research, said: “The rate at which technology is transforming the workplace means that we live in a world where many primary schoolchildren will work in technology-based roles that do not yet exist, so it is essential that future generations can apply digital skills with confidence.”
Read moreLatest News
29/04/2026 - 10:03
A study from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), conducted by the UCL Institute for Education, examined the impact of student grouping in maths.
28/04/2026 - 09:56
A new survey by the British Council has revealed that more than two thirds (67%) of primary school age children say they would like to spend more time at school learning a language.
28/04/2026 - 09:38
A survey by school leaders’ union NAHT has found that 51% of its members had buildings or areas that were out of use or not fit for purpose.
27/04/2026 - 09:45
Forty-four per cent of education professionals are unfamiliar with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, otherwise known as Martyn’s Law, according to new research.
24/04/2026 - 12:32
A survey by Save My Exams has found that 40% of students are regularly disrupted by noise at home.
