Anything that limits the number of people who have a skill is not a welcome development. To this end I have come up with some of the ways in which the computing community can provide a platform for other languages to be used so that people are not excluded from the computing evolution that is developing in the world.

Including other languages for computing

1. All computing software should be made available in local languages so that everyone can put their mark on the computing industry. Learning is not just about languages but the actual computing skills that they implementing. It does not matter if you are speaking the local dialect or English as long as you can use the computer effectively. The mentality that tries to keep local languages local needs to be changed as far as computing is concerned.



2. There should be training in other languages to encourage the use of alternatives to English when training people to operate computers. This is crucial because often local people have their own language which they are very proud of. If computing tries to impose a foreign language then they may end up resisting the computing itself. There has to be a level of cultural sensitivity when trying to introduce computing into the community.
3. The computing community can sponsor training programs that give instructions in the local dialect because this will get more people to get involved and will reduce the effects of the hegemony of modern languages on the industry. If people have been trained properly they will not have a problem in trying to implement the computing strategy that has been set up to reduce the dominance of the main modern languages. Money is always the key to spreading the computing message and if nobody comes up with the money then the cause will be lost.
4. Consultation is a key element of the process of building trust within the local literacy community. This means ensuring that you know when and how the local community wants their computing services delivered. It requires a lot of patience to be able to deal with all the requests from local communities that might benefit from computing literacy. However the rewards of success far outweigh any hassle that you may have undergone.
5. Preach what you practice in terms of ensuring that the computing organization follow policies which allow for the use of alternative languages when disseminating information to the customers. If the company is not following a policy of using alternative languages then they have a very limited opportunity to get the scheme going.

Whereas there is an almost universal recognition of computing as a development tool, there is some reluctance to undertake the activities that will make this dream a reality. One can lay the blame at the feet of government incompetence but there ought to be an element of personal responsibility in all this.

The first major issue that affects the level of computing in developing countries is the lack of infrastructure. There is a lack of transportation facilities to ensure that computers can get to the people in the rural areas. I take a recent example of a scheme to transport second hand computers from Europe to Africa.

The scheme took off but there were not enough transporters willing to deliver the computers to their intended recipients. Consequently the surplus computers had to go through either recycling or destruction. From this example you can see how a scheme to extend computing to some of the poorest people in the world fell flat on its face due to the lack of adequate infrastructure.

More issues that affect the growth of computing
The infrastructural problems that hinder the development and evolution of computing do not just end at the transportation. They can also be applied to the usage of the computer equipment. Some developing countries do not have the computers that are needed to get the technology to the common man. They also lack the essential facilities such as internet access which can increase the literacy of the people within local communities. I have an example of someone who wanted to do an online course but was frustrated because the bandwidth for their area was just not strong enough to sustain the course software.

It might seem rather churlish to be speaking of such things but there still remains an element of ignorance when it comes to computing. This is not willful ignorance but a lack of awareness because no one has made the effort to ensure that people in isolated communities can understand the implications of computing and softwares applications for the modern world that they will have to live in.

It might be shocking to some ears but the fact is that there are children in the developing world who do not know what a computer is and will probably never know what a computer is. It seems such a shame that an important piece of technology is kept away from a significant part of the world population.

Over here, I would say that it is imperative that computing should becomes a development goal for all countries that find themselves on the wrong side of the international poverty line. This means that every effort must be made to ensure that computer access is available to all people no matter what their social background is.

In this article we will be examining some of the issues that might arise if you chose computing as subject at secondary school or primary school level. We will also be examining the impact of such a decision on the career paths of young students.

Computing as a subject falls within the sciences but it might not require the laboratory practical facilities that you would need for a subject such as chemistry. However it has its own requirements such as computer or laptop and internet access. The headmaster of the school will also need to make a decision whether they invite a full time computer teacher or train existing teachers to take on the role. It is important however that headmasters ensure that computers or laptops in schools are well protected from viruses and spyware. With an ever increasing presence of online threats, schools need to safeguard against these risks to minimize damage and downtime.

Given the fact that computer literacy has become as commonplace as making tea, it makes sense that you will want to use people who already operate with a computer. This saves costs and ensures that you are building the computer skills of all teachers.

Gaining the resource base for computing projects
The computer facilities can be expensive for a school establishment especially if there are other priorities that continue to take precedence. It requires some level of lateral thinking to be able to overcome this challenge to building a computing knowledge base. Initially you might want to consider cost savings from other parts of the budget so that they can be transferred into improving the uptake of computing as a subject. There are many institutions available for more training, such as Computer Systems Institute.  The investment is worth it if you consider the improved career prospects of the students who will be able to take up computing as a subject.

It must also be remembered that the development of computer skills has recently become a serious government priority. This means that if a specific bid is placed before the secretary of state it will be given better consideration. There are even existing government grants that are meant to foster the intellectual development of computing skills within the community. All that is requires are to submitting a valid application. Sometimes the opportunities for developing computing skills are staring at us in the face and all we need to do is gather some application so that we can use them.

In conclusion I would say that computing has the propensity to become a very popular subject in school. It is both a practical and theoretical subject that can greatly increase the employment prospects of the people who take up the subject. All that is required is the application that one would expect of someone who would like to improve the computer literacy within their chosen community.

This all indicative of the kinds of abilities that you have as a young person to acquire skills. It is not just about having innate abilities to do with age. That would be an ageist attitude to take. It is also about responsibilities and the time to do the work that is needed to develop adequate computing skills.

Having IT skills from a young age is becoming increasingly integral to the career successes of today’s youth, and allows them to do anything from compose essays with word processors to using their internet skills to gain online degrees and engage in constructive academic pursuits with colleagues across the globe. It goes without saying that reading, writing and math are basic skills that are by far the most important, but it seems viable in this day and age that we should teach our children to use a keyboard the same way we teach them to use a pen.

I know that many education systems where atrocious in the nineteen sixties and fifties because they did not emphasize the role of modern technology. However these days there is really little excuse. Even children in the most underdevelopment countries have some for m of access to computers if they really try. I think that it is always best to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise because when you grow older there might be issues that prevent you from building your skills in this area.

The challenges of learning late
A much neglected complaint is one about the shame of not knowing something. When we are young we learn new things every day and there is no reason or room to start worrying about whether we are ignorant. The reality is that most young people are ignorant about the life experiences that they will have to deal with when they grow up. For example a primary school child will have no problem in attending a beginner’s computer class whereas a pension might think twice about humiliating themselves in this way.

Whereas grown up people have more resources and can pay for computing resources, the reality is that they have many responsibilities that take away any time that they might have earmarked for learning about computing. The prime example is that of a single parent who has plenty of housework to deal with let alone the rigors of pursuing further education. This means that although they may be able to afford the computer course, they will be reluctant to join it because of other pressing commitments.

Even within a work environment, it is far easier to attend computer courses if you are a junior employee without much responsibility. However if you are a manager entrusted with the duty to ensure that there is no crisis in the department, you will be under constant pressure to deliver those objectives. I am afraid that much desired computer course will have to take a secondary role in the things that you do.

That is the nature of responsibility and the consequences of growing up. You can no longer take the time available for granted and have to plan your activities very carefully in order to fulfill your schedule. It is from that point of view that I believe that it is far better to learn about computing when you are still relatively young.