NYC plans to offer all public school students computer science classes
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio wants all public schools in the city to offer computer science classes within the next ten years, according to The New York Times. Some of the best public institutions in the city already offer them, but the government wants to prepare more students for the ever-increasing number of tech jobs in NYC. The city's Office of Strategic Partnerships director Gabrielle Fialkoff said they also need to "address equity and diversity within the sector." Just like the rest of the country, most students who opt for computer courses are male and either Asian or white. The government's likely hoping to get more kids interested in tech and, hence, plant the seeds of a more diverse sector, by starting them early.
It won't be a walk in the park for NYC's authorities, though: not all teachers are trained to teach computer science classes, and it's not like graduates of computer courses flock to schools to become teachers. The city expects to spend around $81 million -- funded by a partnership between NYC, CSNYC, Robin Hood Foundation and AOL Charitable Foundation -- within ten years, part of which will be used to train 5,000 teachers, to make the plan a reality.
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