Coding helps students prepare for future: Educators, parents

Coding as a language of the future, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in fuelling increased interest towards coding, the role played by technology in aiding learning, and the holistic approach towards learning envisaged in the National Education Policy were among the key issues that educators and parents discussed during the latest HT Dialogues session which focused on the theme Coding: The Necessary New-Age Skill.

With coding being pegged as a skill that can benefit, equip and prepare students to face the challenges of the future, the discussion saw educators outlining the merits of coding and bursting some of the myths associated with it. Lido Learning founder & CEO Sahil Sheth said coding involves logical thinking and can be applied in any profession. Calling it a necessary life skill, he said that one can start learning to code early on.

“Coding is just a way to practise logical thinking. Every industry is being disrupted by the use of technology. Coding can be used as an advantage in any profession,” said Sheth.

Supriti Chauhan, principal, Delhi Public School, GBN Noida, said the pandemic-induced emphasis on technology has led to a greater appreciation for coding as a skill. “During the pandemic, parents and children have realised how our world revolves around coding. Coding should be taught right from nursery to ensure the children in India are at par with children across the world,” she said.

Nicholas Correa, executive director, Horizon Group of Schools, Airoli, Mumbai, said coding caters to people with an array of interests. “It enables the mind to have a rational outlook ,” he said. Surbhi Bhardwaj, TGT Computer Science, Bal Bharati Public School, Rohini, said schools have started laying emphasis on coding for children of various grades. “We teach them to code to enhance their cognitive skills, critical thinking & problem-solving skills,” she said.

What they said on the importance of coding in digital age
“Programming is the way of life. In the past 20 months, parents and children have realized how our world revolves around coding. The sooner we train our children, the sooner we will be empowering them. Coding is the way to move towards the future. Coding should be taught right from nursery and prep standards . It will ensure that our children will be at par with children all over the world. I think we shouldn’t talk about coding as a separate subject. It should be integrated with all the subjects.” Supriti Chauhan, principal, Delhi Public School, GBN Noida

“Coding is just a way to practise logical thinking. The sooner you start augmenting your intellect, the better off you are. I don’t think there’s anything as too early. It’s just a way to shape and augment intellect. The way it is applied changes over the years. That makes it exciting for the kids to keep doing this even though it is not directly connected to school marks. Every industry is being disrupted by the use of technology. Learning to code can be used as an advantage in any profession. It is a necessary life cycle.” Sahil Sheth, founder & CEO, Lido Learning

“Coding is for everyone, across all ages, and all fields of interests. It encourages computational thinking, analytical processing of information, and the adoption of an out-of-box approach to problems. The competencies and skills honed by coding are essential for learning outcomes and lead to experiential learning. Coding makes one understand deeper over blind acceptance of things. If coding is taught when algebra is introduced in school, it will be fun to learn." Nicholas Correa, executive director, Horizon Group of Schools, Airoli, Mumbai

“Parents and children these days are more aware of coding and know what works and what doesn’t. Students are so much into technology that nothing misses their attention. At the school level, we are teaching them coding to enhance their cognitive skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, maths skills, strategic thinking and a lot of logic building. Surbhi Bhardwaj, TGT Computer Science, Bal Bharati Public School, Rohini

“We need to ensure that the initial start for coding is fun. It should focus on developing love for the skill. My daughter has developed a skill for coding and has been doing well. It’s great to see logic development and the child is encouraged to see that they are able to develop something. It takes some time to catch up but once they are able to catch up with coding, the sky is the limit.” Sima Dubey Pandey, parent, Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute, Subroto Park