Foreign language classes have been a staple of the high school experience for decades, but a recent decision from Florida lawmakers could give students more freedom when choosing elective courses.
According to local news affiliate WTSP, Florida senators have approved a bill that will allow high school students to take computer coding classes in place of more traditional foreign language courses.
The bill, which was introduced by Sen. Jeremy Ring, was passed by a comfortable margin in a vote of 35-5. It will not take effect until the 2018-2019 school year, but Ring is already excited to see how students will respond to the change.
“It’s ahead of its time, but in reality, it’s in its time,” Ring said. “If you don’t have an understanding of technology, you will be left behind. It’s a basic skill, as much as reading and writing.”
While the bill initially called for the computer coding classes to be mandatory in Florida high schools, it has been revised to make the courses optional. Despite this flexibility, several local groups are extremely displeased with the bill, claiming that bilingualism is particularly important in the diverse state of Florida.
The NAACP’s Florida Conference and Miami-Dade branch, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD) came together to release a joint statement in opposition of the bill.
“Our children need skills in both technology and in foreign languages to compete in today’s global economy,” the statement reads. “However, to define coding and computer science as a foreign language is a misleading and mischievous misnomer that deceives our students, jeopardizes their eligibility to admission to universities, and will result in many losing out on the foreign language skills they desperately need even for entry-level jobs in South Florida.”
Tech education has become increasingly important over the years with the rise of Silicon Valley and engineering as a whole. Engineers, for instance, must know how to properly use measuring tools (one is needed to measure the unit being tested; a second is required as a standard device with a known magnitude or correctness.)
Without a solid foundation in coding and other facets of technology, students may fall behind their peers in the job market later on. Florida may not be a national leader in technology, but these new computer coding classes could influence more black and Hispanic children to follow a career in engineering.
The New York Times recently reported on the dearth of black and Hispanic technology workers, claiming that these minority students are notably underrepresented in computer science and engineering programs in colleges across the country.
Ring maintains that this new bill will help to diversify these college programs, calling his detractors “disingenuous.” He called the new bill “innovative” and added that computer coding is “the great education equalizer.”
