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File photo Shutterstock/Veselin Borishev

Computer Science is going to be a Leaving Cert subject

A new report has also stressed the importance of the quality of teaching in Science subjects.

A NEW REPORT commissioned by the government says that Computer Science should be made a Leaving Certificate subject.

The report, commissioned three years ago and overseen by the President of Dublin City University (DCU), Professor Brian MacCraith, makes almost 50 recommendations.

Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, is expected to announce that 21 of these are a priority for his department later today.

The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) report has been prepared by the STEM Education Review Group.

The group’s recommendations include putting coding on the agenda by making Computer Science a Leaving Cert subject and ensuring that teachers have specific qualifications related to the subjects they are teaching.

The report also suggests addressing the gender imbalance in subjects such as Physics, which currently sees boys accounting for 76% of students studying the topic.

An emphasis on coding, in particular, in schools is something that Richard Bruton has called for in the past.

In July, he wrote to the chief executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to look at how coding could be introduced in primary schools.

Bruton said: “I am acutely conscious that we need to give all children the best start in a world where such skills will be key to participation and success.”

Teaching children and young people how to code has been led, to date, by organisations such as the not-for-profit Coderdojo, which celebrated five years in operation in September.

Read: The best time for a child to learn how to code? Wait until they’re nine

Read: Could coding in schools help solve a major problem in the sector?

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    Mute John Naghten
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    Feb 10th 2019, 4:27 PM

    I bet the Chinese will have it copied before the Americans can produce it commercially

    76
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    Mute Boyne Sharky
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    Feb 10th 2019, 4:31 PM

    @John Naghten: It’s probably made in China..

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Feb 10th 2019, 5:13 PM

    @John Naghten: or some MNC corporation like Nike will get their hands on it and manufacture jerseys in the east using child labour fo 2 euro a unit and then sell it in the west 85 euro each…oh hang on scrap that – they already do that with cotton.

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    Mute Skybloo
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    Feb 10th 2019, 7:47 PM

    @Boyne Sharky: it is now lol

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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Feb 10th 2019, 4:35 PM

    Metal in clothing? Gonna be some craic gong through airport scanners in a couple of years

    35
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    Mute Mjhint
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    Feb 10th 2019, 4:15 PM

    environmental impact?

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    Mute John Horan
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    Feb 10th 2019, 4:21 PM

    @Mjhint: less need for heating or aircon in your home or workplace

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Feb 10th 2019, 6:16 PM

    @John Horan: the biggest polluters on the planet are those who make clothes particularly cheap clothes.

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    Mute Sean Murphy
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    Feb 10th 2019, 7:15 PM

    @Mjhint: no they’re not haha, farmers, especially those in the beed industry, are by far the biggest polluters. I can provide sources if you like.

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    Mute Sean Murphy
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    Feb 10th 2019, 7:16 PM

    Beef* oops not beed.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Feb 10th 2019, 11:30 PM

    @Sean Murphy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_fashion
    Farming? Where do you think the raw materials for clothes come from.

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    Mute David Daly
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    Feb 10th 2019, 4:37 PM

    That’s cool…..

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    Mute ED
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    Feb 11th 2019, 1:49 AM

    @David Daly: and also pretty hot

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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Feb 10th 2019, 5:08 PM

    I hope it’s not like the fabric in the “The Man In The White Suit” where it will disintegrate after a while…

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 10th 2019, 6:33 PM

    I know a guy who got very excited about “moisture wicking” clothes. He is going to lose his mind when he sees these!

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    Mute Greg Blake
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    Feb 10th 2019, 5:47 PM

    Em … Ireland … cold AND wet. Now, how to get around that.

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    Mute Jams O' Donnell
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    Feb 10th 2019, 5:38 PM

    Sounds like my wife. She certainly knows how to cool me down!

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