Coding, it really is child’s play now

A bright beetle chomping on coloured beans for points, while avoiding ‘bean bombs’; it’s not Angry Birds but this game is just as addictive. In demand While the debates about the effects of computer use among youngsters aren’t going to die down any time soon, the clamour to get children to code is only getting louder. Comparing coding to language, Mitch Resnick of MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group, has been quoted as saying that children can “read” new technology, but cannot “write”. They don’t know the basics,” says Abhinay Kumar, a young software engineer trying to set up coding classes for those aged seven to 17. “We require more coders and software engineers who can build good companies.” Jobs vs. qualified students Code.org, a high-profile U.S. NGO “dedicated to growing computer programming education”, would agree with him.