Should we be pestering examination boards to put "installation and configuring and familiariastion of different platforms" onto their sylabus.
Not a hope, I fear. ICT ("Information and Communications Technology") at school level means "learning how to do stuff by pointing and clicking in Windows", in practice. It's basically the equivalent of teaching ironing in "Domestic Science" (whatever that's called these days, oh, yes, "Home Economics" comes to mind).
But dont we produce people who at 16 years old can actually surivive in the real world? I mean I learnt how to cook in those lessons, my mother didnt teach me, i went to uni armed with only what I had learnt in those lessons which i hadnt used for four years (through gcse and alevels) and i survived (only just) but i survived.
Decent Computer Science courses at University expose students to Unix systems and teach how to use and manage them. This is advantageous in studying Computing scientifically because you can get into the system and actually see what's going on, and play with it. You can learn the principles of how computers work better on Unix systems precisely because the bottom level is accesible and you can see where you are.
hahaha computer science at university hahahaha hahaha decent computer science at university hahaha (it was mentioned recently that the eningeers of UEA : Sys where ... elitist at times - im not going to disagree when one of my lecturers on giving me an assingment (im only on a bsc in CSE) said "the current system isnt very good... the guy who wrote is only on a masters of computing...you're an ENGINEER))
However much you "pester examination boards" you won't get them to listen because they won't know what you're talking about. You only have to look at QCA and the National Curriculum to see what these agencies think it's about, and neither schools nor exam boards are going to break ranks in the face of expected attainments for Key Stages.
no sorry, my bad.. but Im not conivced that creating highelr evelves of standards for eductaion is good in this area - im not sure that people can meet them.
I went to both Bourne Grammar School and Robert Manning (the comprehensive in the town). We have a selective netrance into the Grammar to get the top 25% of the people, and **most** of them dont do brilliantly at computing. They're gtting better, a lot better, which is a mixture of better resources and more timetabled lessons, but unless you are going to amke a real commitement to do better and learn more (like tola, myself, kaz and the other "it assitants" you really dont learn more then just "office" skills).
And if you want to have a "real" life at the same time - for examble play football at luncthime with the other kids, then you cant.
J