Coding for Kids - Is it really necessary?

I've seen a growing number of people, including celebs like Chris Bosh, saying that the next must-have skill for tomorrow's kids will be mastery of coding/ programming. Just like during our grandparents' time it was basic literacy, and now it's computer literacy; in the next decade or so it will supposedly be coding. So schools are now throwing 'coding boot-camps' for kids during holidays to teach languages like Python or Java. Including a few (of course high-end) schools in Kenya.

My take - I totally disagree with this. Yes, I agree coding knowledge will be more widespread in the future, but it will be coding know-how in very niche areas. For example, if you're an accountant today, you almost definitely need above-average proficiency in Excel - you know, stuff like Vlookup and IF statements. In the future, when our kids become accountants, employers may go one step further and ask for someone who can create their own customizable Excel macros to assist in P&L analysis. This is an example of what I'm talking about - very specialized coding skills in a narrow field. Another example is how Business Analysts increasingly need to learn SQL to distinguish themselves. SQL is a language used for querying data from databases. And it has hitherto been a skill only used by IT database administrators (DBA's), but now is more and more becoming a requirement for business analysts.

But hardcore general coding/ programming skills (for example learning Python or Java or C-sharp) is really only useful for IT developers/ programmers, and I do not see that changing. This is because programming languages are really difficult enough to learn, so that becoming a coder or developer is not something you learn 'by the way' as you do your other non-IT job; no, it is itself a full-time career choice. And with the increasing complexity of computing, that will not change any time in the future. Learning how to write Excel macros or SQL queries is a useful additional skill in today's highly computerized workplace. But learning how to create an e-commerce website in Javascript, or alter a a banking application created in Python, is and will continue to be a full-time career only for IT developers.

A similar analogy is driving. It is important to one day teach your kid to drive because that is a very useful skill in the daily world. But is it really necessary to take your kid to an intensive 6-month racing course in the 'Young Formula 1 Drivers Racing Club', where they will learn the heel-and-toe technique, how to choose the right tyres for each race, and how to perfectly clip corner apexes? I think most of us would agree and say 'No', because racing-driving skills are for racing drivers, and for daily driving those skills are just unnecessary overkill. By the way, yes I'm a huge Formula1 fan, hence this analogy.

Now, it's true there are some kids who have an aptitude and interest in coding, and so will really gain from these coding bootcamps. But then, schools should market such camps as an optional extracurricular activity, like ballet and tennis. And not try to guilt parents into thinking coding is a must-have skill for all professions, and that their kids will be left behind if they do not sign up right now.

And if you're a parent, unless your 10-year old already knows the career path he/ she will take, or is naturally interested in coding, please don't torture them by trying to make them learn programming at this age. Instead, expose them early and often to computers and technology - smartphones and tablets and smart TV's and the like. And of course let them take the 'Introduction to Computers' classes in school. This will ensure they have a good grasp of general technology and computing, and they'll be ready for the next step when they finally start working; that is, your kid will be ready to tackle the equivalent of 'advanced Excel for accountants' when they finally start working. But as for learning 'hard' coding skills - that's useful only for IT developers. Both now and in the future.