Kids still shunning IT in worrying numbers

The latest GCSE results show continued apathy among schools and students for IT-related subjects and do little to encourage the industry that last week's poor showing in technical A-Levels wasn't a blip, with fears growing about a skills gap and companies looking overseas for new talent.

The number of students taking A-Level computing has actually fallen year-on-year, with just 1.1 per cent of students taking the qualification this year compared to a little-better 1.4 per cent in 2003. In real terms that equates to almost 1,400 fewer students.

And the pattern doesn't look set to improve much with the publication today of GCSE figures which show interest in IT is still low in schools at the under-16 level. The qualification offered in information and communication technology (ICT) was taken by 1.7 per cent of GCSE students, marginally up on last year (1.6 per cent).

Despite the opportunities for well-paid employment and the availability of jobs for the right people with the right qualifications, this message still isn't getting through.

The number of students who took A-Level computing (8,488) this year is still overshadowed by subjects such as music (9,280), expressive arts/drama (17,831) and general studies (58,316) to name but three of arguably less-vocational relevance.

With the GCSE in ICT the balance of power is no more encouraging, with students favouring subjects such as drama, history, physical education and religious studies.

Rob Chapman, founder of IT training organisation The Training Camp, told silicon.com the government needs to more to raise the profile of IT and drill home the message with schools and students that IT is an important area of qualification.

"The government should be treating IT in the same way as it treats the 'three Rs'," said Chapman. "IT is now as fundamental to society as reading, writing and arithmetic."

Chapman believes that if schoolchildren aren't motivated by the challenge of a career in IT, then more should be made of the money available.

"It sounds shallow but students should probably be told about the earning potential of a career in IT," he said.

Worse still in the eyes of many is the gender divide evident in IT learning within the UK education system. Boys still outnumber girls by almost seven to one at the A-Level stage.

Chapman attributes this in part to the image crisis within IT, blaming the perception - "not the reality" he added hastily - of 'geekiness' for the fact the numbers of boys, but particularly girls, is still low.

Hetty Browne, an information management graduate in 1998 and now MD of interactive services provider NeoOne, told silicon.com that too many girls fall at the first hurdle.

"Generally girls aren't moved to take IT because it's simply not seen as 'cool' and because they're just not interested in technology in the way that boys are," she said. "For girls, other career paths seem naturally more interesting and exciting."

Browne said: "A lot more has to be done to improve the image of IT in society in general. In turn this will catch the attention of girls and boys at school. Once they understand that it's not all about binary codes, if statements and XML feeds and is more about creating and developing services for people and businesses, perhaps their perception will start to change."

Browne added: "IT is challenging and exciting. Anyone with the knowledge and a bit of motivation can begin to rival the biggest and the brightest in the industry. This is the image we should be portraying to society and more importantly to girls and boys at school."