Fifth-year pupils able to study Leaving Cert computer science from next year

From next year, fifth-year pupils will be able to study computer science for the Leaving Certificate, as the Department of Education is set to fast-track its plan to make Ireland’s education and training system the best in Europe.

Introducing computer science to secondary schools was one of the recommendations made by the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) education review group in its report on improving the teaching of STEM subjects in primary and secondary schools. The new course, which was not originally to begin until 2019, will focus on computational thinking and coding.

The authors of the government-commissioned STEM report said the quality of second level education in STEM subjects was essential to ensuring pupils fare better in third-level STEM courses and in the workplace.