§ 3.6 p.m
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken to develop the knowledge of automation in schools and technical colleges, and how many computers are available in schools and technical colleges.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (LORD BOWDEN)My Lords, there are many short courses provided in technical colleges on various aspects of computers as applied to automation, as well as other general courses on computer programming and principles. In an increasing number of schools, simple programming and computer mathematics are taught. The provision of expensive computers in schools would not be justified, but college installations are made available for school teachers and sixth form pupils. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science and his predecessors have approved digital computer installations at 27 technical colleges, and further proposals are now under consideration. Many colleges possess simple analogue computers.
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that Answer. Is he aware of the vital importance of spreading a knowledge of automation if we are to compete effectively industrially in the future? Does he not agree that this relates especially to young people in schools and technical colleges? Can he give me any information on the practice of some schools who have shown 1434 their own interest in this matter by making their own computers?
§ LORD BOWDENIndeed, my Lords, this is very much in our minds. The whole of the future development of computers will be at peril unless we can provide more mathematicians who are able to use them. I suspect that it will be more difficult to educate programmers than to build machines. On the other point, schools have been extremely enterprising, and I know of several which have built their own computers. There are two in particular which spring to mind, Marlborough College and Bury Grammar School, both of which were helped by Manchester University. The second computer, the larger of them, is to be described in an article which will appear in the columns of the International Journal of Engineering Education next week.
LORD REAMy Lords, could the noble Lord give the House any indication as to the approximate cost of the programme which he has just outlined?
§ LORD BOWDENTo which programme is the noble Lord referring?
§ LORD BOWDENOnly very limited funds have, in fact, been made available for computers in schools; but, as I said, some schools have enterprisingly built their own. There has, however, been an extensive programme of encouraging school teachers to use computers in university and technical colleges. It is usual to make it a condition of the provision of a computer in a technical college that it should be made readily available to schools. These things are in large measure a matter for local enterprise and arrangement. To my own knowledge, many schools have already taken great interest in this most important subject.
§ LORD BROWNMy Lords, would my noble friend not agree that it is a little unfortunate that the public mind is a little over-concerned with computers? The principles normally associated with computers are, in fact, found embedded in a range of sometimes much simpler equipment. Therefore, it is not only computers which need this encouragement, but many other types of equipment as well.
§ LORD BOWDENMy Lords, I am well aware of the force of what the noble Lord has said. This is one of the bases on which our policy has been founded.