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Hopefully mandatory computer science education doesn't fall into the same trap as mathematics, where the "introductory" version taught in grade school becomes s

Hopefully mandatory computer science education doesn't fall into the same trap as mathematics, where the "introductory" version taught in grade school becomes so simplified and rote that it loses all of the qualities that make it creative and interesting. There is definitely a systemic problem of kids thinking they are "no good at math", despite an early introduction, and I'm not sure why CS would be so different. Of course, that's still a lot better than not having mandatory math classes at all.

derefr 12y ago
Indeed; what I'd really hope for, in the end, would be just beginning to teach discrete math (logic, set theory, graph theory, etc.) to kids starting when they're 11 or so. It's a lot easier, and a lot more fun, and tends to be a lot more appreciated by the kids than the random bits of pre-calculus (literally "things that are useless unless you later take calculus") we teach them in "Math" class! But, of course, everyone always derides the idea because "we tried this" with New Math in the 70s. No, we didn't. We tried to teach some parts of discrete math (which are formal abstractions) to 5- or 6-year-olds, who weren't yet at the formal operational stage of cognitive development. You can't teach a 6-year-old about set theory any more than you can teach a 6-week-old about object permanence. You have to start when they're older. But "older" doesn't mean "an optional thing to be taught at university!" It's a formative skill, and if you don't pick it up right when you're first able to pick it up, trying to force it into your mind later is somewhat like trying to learn a new spoken language in adulthood when you've been monolingual for your entire life until then.