Ontario is updating its curriculum in both computer science and technological education to include more hands-on learning.
On Monday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the changes will give students experience with new technology, expose them to real-life problem solving and prepare them for the job market.
These changes will give students the opportunity to apply coding concepts, build hands-on projects, and investigate artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
The government says the updates will reflect automation advancements in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides, Lecce says these changes are a great way to get kids excited about learning as interests in generations shift.
He says what the new curriculum will entail.
"It's going to include now mandatory learning on coding, which as you know our government was the first in Canada to mandate it from Grade 1 to 8. We're now going to include and help young people understand artificial intelligence, learn about AI and cybersecurity which are huge emerging areas of interest. And we're going to be exploring other emerging cutting-edge digital technology."
He says Ontario needs more people to work in STEM professions.
"We've got in this province 230,000 STEM grads that are going to be needed between now and the year 2030. 233,000 graduates in science technology, engineering and math and yet we don't have enough of them."
Lecce says the curriculum had gone way too long without any updates, and it's time to help young students succeed.
"The world and economy has changed, and yet I find that the curriculum in Ontario stay static. And so our Premier gave me a mandate, overhaul and modernize this curriculum, connect to the labour market and teach kids life and job skills. And I'm excited to do this. It's just another step forward, it's part of a broader reform we're making to education so that young people actually graduate and get a good paying job."
Ontario hasn't updated their technological education curriculum since 2009 and the computer science curriculum was last updated in 2008.
The technological education curriculum updates are set to start with revised Grade 9 and 10 courses in September 2024.