Coding more creative than essay writing

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From next year, all upper primary pupils will take coding enrichment classes. The Straits Times tech journalist Lester Wong took a trial lesson to find out what kids can expect.
Children as young as seven learning to code using visual programming language Scratch at Coding Lab.
Children as young as seven learning to code using visual programming language Scratch at Coding Lab. ST PHOTO: VINCENT CHANG
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A casual remark from Ms Candice Wang, co-founder of coding school Coding Lab, caught my attention while I was digesting the lesson being taught at a coding enrichment class in the school last week.

The first thing students learn at the class, she said, was how to use a laptop and mouse. Things I took for granted, such as where to place the fingers on the keyboard, what is right-click on the mouse and the correct sitting posture while using the computer.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 31, 2019, with the headline Coding more creative than essay writing. Subscribe