Project to boost teachers' computer confidence helps 77,000 South West kids
More than 77,000 primary school pupils in the South West have benefitted from a pioneering education programme to boost youngsters’ computing skills.
The Barefoot Computing project, which has now reached more than one million pupils UK-wide, helps primary school teachers get to grips with computing so that they can better help their pupils.
Led by BT and the British Computing Society, Barefoot offers free teaching-resources and volunteer-led training workshops, designed to help primary school teachers get confident when teaching computer science and computing skills.
It is making a big impact across the UK with over 130,000 resources downloaded and more than 35,000 teachers using those resources. In the South West, nearly 200 workshops have been held, attended by nearly 3,000 teachers, who have then been better able to help more than 77,000 of their pupils.
Jon Reynolds, chairman of BT’s South West regional board, said: “Computing is a vital skill for the future of the South West. For the individual, it opens the door to a world of possibilities. Businesses and organisations of all types and sizes rely on this technology, whilst households use it for online learning, research and entertainment.
“In the South West BT volunteers are running workshops at schools the length and breadth of the region, giving teachers the confidence to teach computing to young people. Those skills will undoubtedly be used to successfully navigate a whole host of real-world challenges as they go through life.”
Barefoot was created in response to concerns that many young people today are passive consumers rather than active creators of technology – and risk being left behind.
Findings from research company Ipsos MORI and BT showed how important it is for the UK to step up its efforts on primary school tech literacy. Seventy eight per cent of primary school teachers think tech literacy is as important as reading and writing. Seventy five per cent strongly agreed it’s their job to prepare pupils for a digital world, but only 25 per cent strongly agreed they felt able to do that. Barefoot is designed to address that need.
Liz Williams, BT’s director of tech literacy, said: “BT is delighted Barefoot has reached this major milestone, because we know that the next generation’s life chances will be improved by being able to thrive in the digital world.”
Barefoot is part of BT’s Tech Literacy ambition and forms part of the long-term commitment by BT, unveiled in 2015, to help build a culture of tech literacy for the nation, reaching five million young people by 2020.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
About the Barefoot Computing Project
The Barefoot Computing Project was created in 2014 by a coalition of partners, including the Department for Education, the British Computer Society, BT and Raspberry Pi. It gives primary school teachers free resources and training workshops on using the key concepts that underpin tech literacy. To find out more, access the resources or book a workshop visit www.barefootcas.org.uk
About tech literacy
Young people today grow up surrounded by tech. But too few know how it actually works, or the role it plays in their lives. They are often passive consumers rather than active creators. That matters in a digital world where personal and professional prospects are shaped by technology. So we need to build a culture of tech literacy starting with the next generation, setting young people up with the understanding and abilities needed to shape their futures. Find out more at www.techliteracy.co.uk
