PETALING JAYA: Parent groups have welcomed the teaching of computational thinking and computer science for coding in schools, as the initiative is expected to prepare the younger generation for the technology-driven economy.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said skills required for coding should be taught as early as possible so that the younger generation would not be left behind.

“We should have introduced it a long time ago. I think coding is important for the younger generation, especially when the economy is more technology-driven,” she said when contacted.

She applauded the Government’s move to incorporate computational thinking and computer science into the syllabus for students.

“It shows that the syllabus is up-to-date and evolving according to the needs and latest trends,” Noor Azimah added.

On Saturday, The Star frontpaged an exclusive report that the Education Ministry was making every effort to teach all schoolchildren the problem-solving skills required for co­ding, in view of the vast opportunities offered by the digital economy.

In January, computational thinking was made part of the reviewed Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR) for Year One pupils – making Malaysia the first country in Asean to introduce it into the national syllabus.

Form One and Form Four students will also be allowed to take up Basic Computer Science and Computer Science, respectively.

Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) chairman Mak Chee Kin said it is good for schoolchildren to be exposed to digi­tal technology.

“It is a good move. I think it is important that schoolchildren are given the opportunities to learn more about computer science and coding. It is essential for their future,” he said.

Mak said children would have an advantage when they are familiar with computational language and this would help to groom our own generation of “digital makers” or innovators.

“We need to nurture our own generation of Steve Jobs,” he said, adding that coding could also be used to solve problems of tomorrow.

In an interview with The Star, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said coding was not only a skill required in the technology sector, but also had opportunities in healthcare, transportation, finance and banking among others.

These jobs required advanced digital competency and technical skills, including data analytics and machine learning.

Students who take up Basic Computer Science or Computer Science in secondary school will gradually be introduced to coding languages such as Scratch, Java and Python,

Coding is seen as the basis for the creation of apps, software and websites. To equip students properly, the Education Ministry has trained 17,000 teachers to be coding-competent.