(versione italiana qua)
Italian schools do not need coding alone — as if coding, together with devices and connectivity, were all it takes to bring them into the modern age. Infrastructure is undoubtedly essential: computer labs with working machines and fast networks are a must. But it is not enough to add "we will teach students coding because it is the new English that everyone needs". That kind of statement is wrong on two counts.
The first is talking about teaching coding (i.e. "computer programming") instead of teaching informatics. It is much the same mistake as confusing multiplication tables with the teaching of Mathematics. The times table is a practical tool through which children develop a feel for arithmetic operations, which in turn provide a conceptual key for understanding the world in quantitative terms. The subject taught in schools is Mathematics, of which arithmetic is just one area.
The second is that informatics is not a language in the strict sense. One might say it is, in the figurative way that Galileo said "the universe is written in the language of mathematics." But comparing it to English creates deep conceptual misunderstandings. Here is why.
To begin with, the languages used to write computer programs — the instructions that computers execute — are a far cry from natural languages. Programming languages have neither the flexibility nor the endless richness of reference to lived experience that spoken language possesses. Using the same word for both is like mistaking a mannequin for a living person.
Moreover, using the term "language" means overlooking the fact that informatics has established itself as an autonomous scientific discipline over several decades, with deep and wide-ranging concepts that have led some to describe it as a fourth great domain of scientific knowledge, alongside those of non-living matter, living matter, and human society.
Finally, talking about a "new English" reduces informatics to a mere tool that requires other skills to be of any real use. It is obvious to everyone that knowing English is not enough to become a successful entrepreneur, any more than it is enough to write as well as Hemingway.
Learning informatics is therefore significantly more than learning to program. It means, for example, understanding how the Internet works and what distributed computing involves. Or grasping how to analyse data and their relationships — both direct and derived — while also being aware of the implications of such analyses for individuals and for society. All of this should be part of every student's cultural toolkit, even if they never write a single line of code in their lives, because they will nonetheless be living in an increasingly digital world. It is also worth noting, en passant, that there is early experimental evidence suggesting that studying informatics at school helps improve performance in other subjects as well.
This is why it is essential to introduce a solid informatics education that enables Italian schools to align their educational mission with the demands of a digital society. In this regard, CINI (the National Inter-University Consortium for Informatics) had already submitted to MIUR (the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research) a detailed proposal, several months ago, for introducing the teaching of informatics into schools from primary level onwards. The proposal was developed by the community of university informatics lecturers, in collaboration with educationalists and school teachers.
In the meantime, the country has undergone significant political changes. The hope is that the new "government of change and of the internet" will grasp the importance of equipping students to be effective digital citizens. Learning informatics is essential for understanding, participating in, shaping, and contributing to the democratic development of society. It is essential to being the authors, rather than mere spectators, of one's own future.
This is a generational educational challenge, one that can only be met through the input and dialogue of all the stakeholders involved — and one that could also create real opportunities for economic growth in Italy. Not least because the informatics sector, known as computing in the USA, has been the leading sector there for new jobs since 2016 (see figure) and since 2017 has surpassed the manufacturing sector in terms of workforce demand.
But also because a "sophisticated" use of informatics — one that does not simply mean buying off-the-shelf solutions (which often work poorly and require constant tweaking) or relying on outside suppliers (who are generally behind schedule and over budget) — can give our productive system a real competitive edge.
Italian production, across most sectors, is characterised by a unique combination of quality and flexibility. In many fields we are among the best because we are able to track closely the shifting demands of the market while consistently maintaining very high quality standards. To continue excelling in this way, it is now essential to incorporate this sophisticated use of informatics into our production processes. That will only be possible if our universities produce a sufficient number of graduates — thereby also helping to reduce the significant gender gap that exists in this field.
None of this will be achievable without an adequate understanding, built up from the very first year of primary school, of what informatics is and of its "great beauty".
--The original version (in italian) has been published by "Agenda Digitale" on 21 September 2018.
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