Computational Thinking project to be launched for middle school - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Educação, Cultura e Desporto

The Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro, announced that the Computational Thinking project will be implemented in middle school for the first time.

“We are following up on the work carried out in elementary school, which has been gradually rolled out since 2021,” she emphasised.

The announcement was made at the latest meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Regional Education System, recently held at the Domingos Rebelo Secondary School in Ponta Delgada.

According to the Regional Secretary for Education, the project will continue to be implemented “voluntarily by each school.”

The Regional Secretary outlined the options available to schools wishing to join the project so that they can include it in their scheduling.

At the meeting, the members of the Coordinating Council of the  Regional Education System voted unanimously, on their own accord, for the project to be implemented during the remaining time allocated to each subject.

This means that the legislation governing the allocation of teaching hours for each subject allows for periods without a specific allocation that can be allocated, at the discretion of each school, to different subjects and projects.

It should be noted that the members of the Coordinating Council of the Regional Education System comprise the presidents of all school boards in the Region, representatives of regional unions, and representatives of parents’ and guardians’ associations.

The government official pointed out that the Computational Thinking project does not involve computers in the classroom.

“The aim is to structure thinking and the ability to communicate it through games, play and guided exercises,” she explained.

Initially launched as a voluntary pilot scheme, the project’s success led to its wider implementation across all schools within the Autonomous Region of the Azores.