Computer science has been added to the list of core subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) qualification, which is used as a measure of success for school league tables in England.

Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, said today: “It is great news that Google is helping the brilliant Raspberry Pi project. We are replacing the old-fashioned ICT curriculum with a Computer Science curriculum. This will combine with the Raspberry Pi project to spread teaching of computer coding which is so educationally and economically vital.” A full statement from the Department of Education can be read here.

More details on ZDNet: Raspberry Pi and Comp Sci: Is IT teaching back on track? | ZDNet.

Whether this has any relevance for the Raspberry Pi remains to be seen. In fact, it relies a lot on the Raspberry Pi Foundation and it’s efforts to get the Pi recognised as a realistic tool for the teaching of computer science in schools. The recent appointment of Clive Beale as Director of Educational Development at the Foundation can only help to enhance their efforts. I wish him well in taking on the Department of Education and the education community as a whole.

For myself, I believe that the Pi has a good chance of being recognised in this fashion. It is, as has been said over and over again, a cheap platform that is very accessible to those who are serious about computer science. If a student chooses Computer Science as a core subject for the EBacc, I would expect them to have a reasonable commitment to studying it, and the Pi is not only gadget-y and ‘cool’ but also easily available now, thanks to the sterling efforts of Farnell (in particular).

If anyone reading this blog is intending to bring the Pi into their Computer Science courses, please feel free to comment – it’d be great to engage with people in education. I’m a strong believer in the power, so to speak, of the Pi in education and would love to hear of some success stories, or even some valiant attempts!