The growth strategy approved by the Abe Cabinet on June 15 aims to realize an economy and society in which digital technology will be fully utilized. To achieve such a goal, it is essential to develop skilled workforce in the IT industry who can play active roles in areas such as computer programming. The Yomiuri Shimbun asked Nanako Ishido, president of CANVAS, an NPO that has been promoting children's programming education for more than 15 years, about the issues the country is facing. The following is excerpted from the interview.
The Yomiuri Shimbun: It is said Japan lacks skilled workers to handle digital technologies. According to Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry estimates, the IT labor shortage will be around 370,000 people in 2020 and increase to 790,000 in 2030.
Ishido: The labor shortage has been an issue for the last 30 years. It has become even more serious in recent years.
Q: Why is that?
A: Until recently, IT workers meant people involved in computers, software programming, telecommunications and internet content. Nowadays, however, the situation has changed.
Q: How?
A: Computers and the internet have spread everywhere. In addition, with AI and the internet of things having become widespread, IT is now utilized in every industry as well as in our everyday life. As a result, the number of workers needed has increased and the scope of their activities has also expanded.
Q: Can you give some specific examples?
A: [The need] covers a wide range of areas, such as finance, home electronic appliances, the arts and sports, among other things. While programs are needed for computers [to meet increasing demand], people capable of making those programs are in short supply and employers are fighting over them.
Q: The IT workforce ranges from those who produce creative things to those who do data entry. Which area do we face a shortage in?
A: All areas. There are three layers of IT workers. The first is the super-top-level talent. They innovate things that transform society and the economy. Next are the mid-level workers, the people who handle the practical work needed to convert everything to being able to utilize IT. Third are the base-level workers. These are people capable of using IT effectively, and ideally everyone should become like that.
Learning logic and creativity
Q: What should be done to solve the worker shortage?
A: We should learn programming from childhood. We have been promoting this with the slogan "reading, writing and programming."
Q: How would it be different from computer education thus far?
A: Until recently, there was a tendency to see it as learning how to use commercial software like spreadsheet applications. In contrast, the goal of programming education is to learn skills that enable children to manipulate computers.
Q: Give me an example.
A: It would be something like making a game program to search for homonyms after learning about homonyms in Japanese class.
Q: What kind of skills can we expect to develop from it?
A: Programming is the process of breaking things down, reassembling them in correlation, and giving optimal instructions to a computer. Through this process, children can learn logical and creative thinking.
Q: It has been pointed out in recent years, however, that the number of children who lack sufficient Japanese reading comprehension is increasing. Some argue that we should give priority to reading comprehension, rather than programming.
A: Instead of choosing one or the other, we should put our efforts into both of them. Critics have said our endeavor is premature or aims to train children to become programmers. But just because you studied music does not mean you will become a musician. Just because you studied Japanese does not mean you will become a writer. It is the same for programming. It is education necessary to learn the skills to survive in a computerized society.
Q: That view has prevailed, and programming education will become mandatory at elementary schools starting in the 2020 academic year.
A: The atmosphere of the world has changed starting with the rapid increase in smartphone users from around 2010. The number of programming schools has multiplied. However, only children from families who are devoted to education and have financial flexibility can attend. If nothing is done about it, the education gap will become wider and that will have an impact further down the road. Making programming education mandatory has great significance in terms of avoiding such a scenario.
Cooperation from businesses necessary
Q: Some school officials have said they are unsure about how to teach programming.
A: There is roughly one computer allocated for every six people at schools. I often hear people ask how they are supposed to teach it when not everyone has access. We need to create an environment where everyone is allowed to use a computer at the same time.
Q: Should the issue be left up to the schools?
A: The government should get involved in improving the environment. The business world also needs to cooperate on the content being taught. Corporate engineers could be sent to the schools to collaborate on guidance, making the curriculum and providing teaching materials. Those kinds of efforts will help to solve the worker shortage.
Q: How?
A: There is a vast difference between the kind of IT workers required by the business world and those being brought up at universities. This is because the business world has not properly communicated what kind of talent it needs. It is important to clarify that, and for educators to incorporate it into their curriculum.
Q: What measures can achieve that?
A: A new association called Learning of Tomorrow -- its members are corporate employees, university researchers and others -- was established in May. It will work on developing human resources by crossing boundaries among schools, communities and industries. Through these efforts, we seek to close the gap between industry and academia.
Q: The School Education Law was revised in the current Diet session to allow the use of digital textbooks such as tablets starting in the 2020 academic year.
A: It enables incorporating audio and video in addition to the content of paper textbooks. This method effectively enhances the level of understanding.
Q: The utilization of IT will greatly change education.
A: Yes, it will. Education has changed in line with advances in technology. The invention of printing gave rise to textbooks, enabling mass education. IT will also change society and education. That is the kind of age we live in.
-- This interview was conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer Keiko Chino.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 20, 2018)
-- Nanako Ishido / President of CANVAS, an NPO
Ishido also serves as president of Learning of Tomorrow and is a professor at Keio University. Served as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. Established CANVAS in 2002 and has been promoting programming education for children. Author of "Kodomo no Sozoryoku Switch!" [Children's Creativity Switch!] and other books. She is 38.
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