Education secretary says pupils must be taught how to make and use apps

The former Work and Pensions Minister Damian Hinds has been appointed the new Education Secretary, after Justin Greening resigned earlier this month during Teresa may`s extensive cabinet Reshuffle. Along with learning how to be confident in public speaking, Mr Hinds has expressed the importance for young people to be prepared for the ever changing and challenging working environment, in an age increasing dominated by technology.

In his first public speech, delivered at the Education World Forum in London, Mr Hinds spoke of the perennial importance of the `core academic subjects`, while also stressing the importance of `soft skills` - character straits such as a strong work ethic, and good communication skills - which will help improve the employment prospects for young people.

I hadn`t encountered the phrase `soft skills` before, but most of my colleagues have come across it - these skills include a good work ethic, time management abilities, and teamsmanship. ; Of course that is one of the main attributes of a good all round education - learning to get along with people, working within a time frame, being a team player - things that are essential in any workplace. Mr Hinds said that the rather modestly titled `soft skills` are really of paramount importance:

`I would suggest that there is nothing soft about these skills,` he told those gathered at the Education World Forum.

`The hard reality of soft skills is, actually, these things around the workplace, and these things around character and resilience are important for anybody to achieve in life, as well as for the success of our economy,`

An interesting point raised by the minister at the Education World Forum was the growing relevance of `apps` in our lives. To me the term `app` still sounds a little comical and quaint - I really have no use for them, but then again I`m a luddite dinosaur who mainly uses his phone to make and receive calls. Many of my colleagues though say they couldn`t get through a work day without using multiple apps, with one of them saying they are needed before they even get to the office:

`The very first thing I do when I wake up is to check my transport links app - this tells me about any issues on my route to work. It tells me the schedule of most TFL buses and trains. Instead of waiting at a cold at a bus stop, I can enjoy my coffee in the morning for a few extra minutes, before leaving just in time to catch the bus.`

There are apps to help you exercise, to tell you what foodstuffs your fridge is running low on; there are apps to tell you where and when to look in the night sky to see certain constellations. There are even apps that can help you monitor and improve your sleep cycle - even while unconscious apps can be used!

Mr Hinds said that young people need to develop the skills to `write apps,` as well as being taught how to use them. The idea of a group of children receiving a masterclass in phone or tablet use certainly seems strange to me; but it is a brave new world we are living in, one that is (thank goodness!) leaving me and my rotary dial phone far behind!

Of course we need to prepare pupils for the modern, technologically driven workplace they will be entering. Coding, app creation, these skills are in high demand, and will surely become more necessary in the future.

We must be careful though not to be dazzled by the novelty of these new industries: of course IT in all its many guises, from programming to graphic design, is a core component of any modern economy; but mathematics and english, language and numeracy, must not be neglected in the rush to embrace these new disciplines.

Andreas Schleicher, director of education for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (thankfully usually shortened to the OECD) has revealed a shameful statistic: a fifth of 15-year-olds in the UK are struggling to achieve even the most basic levels in maths and reading. In a speech at The Education World Forum Mr Schleicher said:

`If the United Kingdom were to ensure that all students had at least basic skills, the economic gains could reach $3.6 trillion (£2.58 trillion) in additional income for the economy over the working life of these students,`

The department for Business and Innovation Skills published a report in 2016 entitled `The Impact of Poor English and Maths Skills on Employers,` in which it detailed concerns voiced by a broad range of industry representatives relating to the low standards of literacy and numeracy skills amongst employees.