[Info-vax] Rust as a HS language, was: Re: Quiet?

[chris]

On 04/08/22 01:27, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 4/7/2022 8:31 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2022-04-06, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>>> On 4/6/2022 6:51 PM, VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>>> Rust as a high school language? I believe schools should be
>>>> concentrating on
>>>> reading, writing and mathematics with special emphasis on the
>>>> mathematics. I
>>>> can not believe that colleges need to offer remedial mathematics
>>>> such as basic
>>>> algebra to their incoming freshmen. Writing should be a close
>>>> second. Writing
>>>> as if "texting" friends is not composition.
>
>>> The idea about teaching programming in secondary or primary school
>>> come up frequently.
>>>
>>> Mostly from people that don't know programming.
>>>
>>> I don't think it make any sense. The available time will be
>>> so small and the level taught so low that it will not be
>>> useful. It does not provide the IT industry with something
>>> they can use. And it does not provide any valuable skills to
>>> the students.
>>
>> Back when I was in secondary school (early 1980s) programming classes
>> _were_ along the subjects offered. Basic was the language in use but
>> I also came across this new language called Fortran and started doing
>> the assignments in that language as well as in Basic just for fun. :-)
>>
>> And you are wrong Arne in an important way. You don't get any direct
>> skills that you can use in industry but it exposes students to what
>> is involved in writing programs and the mindset required.
>>
>> It became obvious to me very quickly that this was something I _really_
>> liked and made me consider it as my possible future (which obviously
>> turned into reality).
>
> It may work as a recruiting mechanism for IT relevant tertiary
> educations.
>
> But what is learnt in that context is something that eventually
> has to be unlearned to actually become good at software development.
>
> Software development has very little to do with typing in
> lines of code.
>
> Arne
>

Yes. Any fool can write a two or three page utility and make it
work, but analysing and building even medium sized sysems requires a
different approach. The actual coding is just a small part of that...

Chris