Here’s why American students don’t learn computer science

America’s youth isn’t getting a decent education when it
comes to the basics of technology, and now we’re
seeing some data on why that’s the case.
A survey conducted by Google and Gallup shows that
many Americans believe computer science should be
taught between kindergarten and the 12th grade. Yet
most schools don’t offer the courses due to budget
constraints, a lack of teachers, and the need to focus
more on subjects included in standardized tests.
The results are another mark against standardized tests,
which have become a point of contention among
parents, students, teachers, principals, and essentially
anyone else who doesn’t profit off their continued
existence. Yet these reviled constructs aren’t the only
cause of computer science courses’ woes.
Another problem might be the lack of communication
between administrators, parents, students, and teachers.
The survey showed that 91 percent of parents want their
children to learn computer science; less than 8 percent
of principals thought demand for the courses was that
high. That can’t be blamed on tests — it’s simply the
byproduct of a good-ol’ fashioned breakdown in
communication.
The rising number of low-income students also
contributes to the problem. More students qualify for
free or reduced-price meals at school (a sign of
belonging to a low income family) than ever before. Yet
the schools these children attend receive less than their
fair share of state or federal funding, according to a 2011
report published by the US Department of Education.
That could help explain why many superintendents who
responded to the survey said there isn’t enough money
to train or hire a teacher (57 percent); nor a sufficient
budget to purchase necessary equipment (31 percent) or
software (33 percent); nor enough equipment (20
percent) or software (27 percent) already in their schools
for them to introduce computer science courses.
All those factors combine to create a system where
computer science is limited to students privileged
enough to belong to schools that value the subject,
have the equipment necessary to teach it, and reliable
Internet access they can use to complete any homework.
The barriers to computer science being taught more
widely don’t end with schools; they extend into
student’s home lives, too.
None of these problems are unique to computer science.
The influence of standardized tests, budget shortfalls,
and a student’s lack of resources at home aren’t limited
to this one aspect of education held near-and-dear by
the tech industry’s top companies. They pervade every
aspect of America’s education system — and that means
introducing computer science courses shouldn’t
necessarily be a goal unto itself, but should instead be
another bullet point in any argument meant to overhaul
much of this country’s education system.