Raspberry Pi CEO Philip Colligan said that with the cost of devices now approaching virtually zero, policymakers need to focus on teachers, curriculum and infrastructure.
Colligan, who we spoke to at the 2017 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, said he was humbled by of the sheer number of students using Raspberry Pi computers and the Python programming language as the basis for a plethora of different projects.
“It’s my first time here this year and I’ve just been blown away by the creativity of the young people. It is very gratifying to see them using our technology.
“There are kids here doing remarkable things with Raspberry Pi, real science!”
Raspberry Pi is a series of credit card-sized single board computers that were created in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and help kids to develop their software and hardware skills.
A year ago, the company brought out the Raspberry Pi Zero, which costs just $5.
But Colligan said now that computing devices are affordable, it is up to policymakers to do more to ensure that schools have the teachers and the curriculum to help kids succeed in the 21st century.
“We’ve got to make a bigger investment in upskilling the next generation of teachers so that they can support young people to learn how to create the technology.”
Words by John Kennedy
