Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision they have made for the teaching of computer science, with particular regard to artificial intelligence, at Key Stage 3; what assessment they have made of that provision; and whether they have any plans to change it.

Our computing curriculum and computer science qualifications are world standard and we are committed to ensuring that teachers have the knowledge and skills they need to be able to teach them effectively.

The key stage 1-4 computing programme of study in the national curriculum, which was first taught from September 2014, is designed to ensure that pupils:

evaluate and apply information technology;

write computer programs;

understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science; and

are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

The computing programme of study is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.

Artificial intelligence (AI), as a branch of computer science, is not explicitly labelled in the computing curriculum as the programmes of study are designed to allow study of the full breadth of computing fields. However, programming is the bedrock by which AI operates and this is a core feature throughout.

The government will be investing £84 million of new funding to support digital skills through a new comprehensive programme, focused on improving computing teaching in schools. This will include training up to 8,000 existing computer science teachers to teach computer science GCSE, creating a new National Centre for Computing Education that will reach both primary and secondary schools, and pilots for activities with a focus on increasing uptake by girls.

This funding will be in addition to the £5.8 million we have already invested since 2012 in the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science and £1 million for the creation of free online resources for primary school teachers.