SINGAPORE — School children may soon learn computer programming as part of the school curriculum, include computer coding, which would enable them to develop mobile apps.

Mr James Kang, assistant chief executive of Government Chief Information Office at Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), said: “In the longer term, we hope to introduce coding as a lesson in school.

“ICT (information and communications technology) is getting to be very pervasive. And we all recognise it’s going to be a strategic catalyst to give us that change and transformation and competitive advantage. It’s very useful for Singapore to capitalise on information technology.”

Some primary school students are already picking up programming at infocomm clubs supported by IDA.

For others, their parents have signed them up for private classes.

At KORE Infotech, a private IT school, primary and secondary school students are already learning how to assemble PCs, programme games and build websites.

Such classes are gaining in popularity.

The school said it has seen registration increase by 30 per cent per year since KORE Infotech started offering classes for children in 2011.

Kamlesh Rajpal, manager of business development at KORE Infotech, said: “Parents really want their kids to learn programming early. They want them to be exposed to this so that also makes it easier to make it a career choice, if programming is good for them.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA