Disney Thinks High Schools Should Let Kids Take Coding In Place of Foreign Languages

theodp writes: Florida lawmakers are again proposing a contentious plan that would put coding and foreign language on equal footing in a public high school student's education. Under a proposed bill students who take two credits of computer coding and earn a related industry certification could then count that coursework toward two foreign language credits.

"I sort of comically applaud that some would want to categorize coding as a foreign language," said Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. "Coding cannot be seen as an equivalent substitute." Disclosure records show that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has three lobbyists registered to fight in support of the bill. Disney did not return an email seeking comment, but State Senator Jeff Brandes said the company's interest is in a future workforce... Disney has provided signature tutorials for the nation's Hour of Code over the past three years, including Disney's Frozen princess-themed tutorial.

Comments

Re: No

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow you're an idiot.

Hardly anyone takes typing, yet everyone figured it out eventually. Not the same as a foreign language.

Math is required K-12. Not the same as a foreign language.

Writing is required K-12. Not the same as a foreign language.

Do you come on here with your straw man arguments and trick people into thinking you're smart?

Re:Babel, tower of (or was it Hanoi?)

[ChrisMaple]

English is one of a small group of languages that most technical advances are expressed in. You won't get that in Swahili or Navaho. English is the language of freedom.