Date: 13 May, 2010
Posted by: admin
In: life & family|linux, open source & software
AQA exam board announced that they are dropping C, C# and PHP from their approved list of computer programming languages in the upcoming syllabus. Here are example exam papers from 2009.
The following are AQA Computing exam papers from 2009 for units 1 and 2 of the A/AS-level exams.
1 | ian
Is it any wonder why there is a dearth of current IT skills in the UK when our educational establishments and governing bodies make such absurd decisions?
What logic can be given for the continued support of a 12 year old (13 when the decision takes full effect in 2011) programming language, namely VB6? A language last updated in 1998, which is no longer supported by its vendor? Even more preposterous is the notion that they have the power to consider ‘deprecating’ a modern, actively developed, widely used, and well rewarded, language – C#.
It strikes me as a decision which comes out of the same school of thought (pardon the pun) that required me to build a database system in an archaic dos based system when I was at university. Be damned anyone who even dared think outside of the box.
I suggest this says more about the ability of teachers/examiners to embrace change/new skills. Instead preferring to live within their comfort zone, pumping out the same material to unwitting students.
A sad state of affairs.
2 | physical therapist
found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
[editor: remove spammy link]
3 | Emily N.
Hi, I’m very interested in Linux but Im a Super Newbie and I’m having trouble deciding on the right distribution for me (Havent you heard this a million times?) anyway here is my problem, I need a distribution that can switch between reading and writing in English and Japanese (Japanese Language Support) with out restarting the operating system.
[editor: removed spammy looking link]
4 | admin
For sure Ian but I can certainly see how difficult it is for school curricula to move at the pace of current tech. The languages used, I guess, need to be considered as simply an example implementation and instead more general methods need to be taught that can be transferred into whatever specific implementation the pupil later finds need to use.
5 | admin
Assuming this is a genuine enquiry, try the Tokyo LUG, they hold meets in Japanese & English – http://tlug.jp/
