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When I was at school, ICT (information and communication technology) lessons took up one hour a week over three years. Starting with typing, I gradually got my words per minute rate up to a no-excuses-for-not-doing-homework standard, before learning basic skills on Office software and moving on to simple HTML and web pages. For me, those lessons were a solid foundation on which to build my computer skills further – not just showing me various functions, but also helping me to think in a way conducive to picking up new programmes and technology.

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Schoolchildren using a computer at a secondary school in London

Ten years on and it seems little has changed. According to a government-backed report, the current school curriculum "focuses in ICT on office skills rather than the more rigorous computer science and programming skills which high-tech industries like video games and visual effects need."

The point towards a need for more exacting teaching of computing in schools to help the UK's digital and creative industries. Written by Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope, leading lights in visual effects and gaming, the report proposes to put computer science on the national curriculum alongside physics and maths, with the expectation that students can further progress their technical knowledge and land jobs in the digital sector.

Bigger than even the film and television industries, video gaming in the UK is worth £2 billion in global sales, but has fallen from third to sixth place in the global development rankings, while the UK visual effects industry sources talent from overseas due to skills shortages at home. The report seeks to address these issues and looks to schools to develop talent for these fields to draw on.

Cynics may think proposed changes would dumb down the education system or even glamorise 'non-academic' subjects, but I find it an extremely exciting development. Anything that gives students a fuller picture of the real range of career possibilities available to them – and encourages them to start learning right away – is a step towards creating a more fulfilling educational experience, not to mention strengthening industry.

It sounds like a golden opportunity to fully engage youngsters in the very things that can so often distract them from their studies in the first place: computer games.

If computer programming feels a bit far off, then start learning the basics on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ WebWise.