Sweden is a leader in the technology industry. It is not surprising then that Swedish children are very good with computers. The Swedish government now wants to make the kids even better with technology. The government wants to introduce computer programming in the children's lessons as early as their first year of primary school.
So serious is the government about the plan that they want to start with the programming lessons for school children as soon as possible. The latest schedule they are targeting would be in the academic year of 2018, which starts in July.
The government says that teaching programming would help prepare the children for a working life. But the plan does not end with the technical side of programming. The Swedish government also wants school kids to learn how to spot real news from fake news. The government wants the kids to be smart about the sources of their news, and which ones to believe.
The real and fake news debate has been hot in Sweden lately. Everyone there now wants to push for the importance of truthful sources of news.
Those in government are worried that kids may not be as smart when dealing with the information society. They feel it might be dangerous to relax with the idea that all knowledge is simply just a click away from their computers, mobile phones or tablets.
It is the wish of the Swedish government that their ten-year-old kids will not be fooled into believing the fake news. It is hoped that children will be able to tell real from fake news using the same scientific approach they have learned in other subjects earlier.
The education minister also hopes that Swedish kids will be able to tell a serious news outlet from a propaganda site.
The plan can also be dangerous, however. It can be used by schools as a way to teach the children about which political sides to choose. Teachers might force students to just agree with their beliefs. Kids may be treated as 'fake news' themselves if they don't agree with the teachers.
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