Lack Of IT Students Puts Future At Risk

Lack Of IT Students Puts Future At Risk

Yet again, the number of UK school children studying IT or for computing exams fell this year, even though we have undoubtedly the most technology-friendly teenage generation ever.


Many in the IT industry say the problem comes from a lack of computing teachers, rather than the attitudes of children. For any subject, the enthusiasm and motivation of the teacher is key to students’ success - and there is a widely held perception that there are simply not enough IT teachers with the ability to enthuse their class.



The difficulty is that this is a tomorrow problem for a today-obsessed government. The knock-on effect of a lack of technology education now will not hit home for another decade at least.

In the short term, there is little chance that the target of 140,000 new entrants into the IT profession every year for the next five years will be met - and the UK’s technological capability will suffer.