This article originally appeared in my free newsletter, Digital Education.

I've been reading the transcript of a conference called Computing in England's schools, from July 2022. Yes, I'm a bit behind the times on this, so I apologise. However, I think anyone who has been involved in educational computing for any length of time will be struck by the fact that (from what I've read so far) there's nothing that we didn't already know. For example:

• The introduction of computer sciences as the only GCSE subjects has resulted in a significant decline in the amount of computing education that students are studying. The thing is, if you give people limited choice, they're liable to vote with their feet. 

• The number of girls taking the subject has declined significantly (although apparently is "creeping back up"). Six years ago I wrote It Wasn’t Me Wot Done It, Sir! The Depressing State Of Computing As A Subject and frankly it depresses me that we're still having the same conversation.

• Computing is more interesting when it's linked to real world applications (I'm not sure that's always true but anyway), so it's good to get industry partners involved. Yes! That was one of the strengths of the Diploma for 14-19 year-olds back in 2009. 

• I'm aware that I'm probably coming across as an old curmudgeon sitting in the corner of the staffroom mumbling "We tried that twenty years ago". I suppose a positive aspect is that at least these issues are still being recognised and discussed. If you'd like to read the transcript you can buy it (along with the recording of the proceedings and the slides) here.

• For another example of something that keeps cropping up, the integrating of academic and vocational courses of study, you might find a perusal of a paper I wrote nearly forty years ago vaguely entertaining. It's in the Digital Education Supplement and here's a link to the page. It comes in the form of a downloadable PDF.

You might also enjoy my other newsletter, Eclecticism, in which I write about writing, literature and life. In a recent article, for example, I wrote about Brick Lane in London.