LANSING – Computer coding would not be considered a language, but would be an option toward graduation under legislation under discussion in the Michigan House Workforce and Talent Development Committee.

Under the H-1 substitute adopted Thursday, the bill (HB 5463) would merge coding, world languages and arts into 21st Century skills, and the Michigan Merit Curriculum would require three credits of those.

The move will give students more flexibility, Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-Alto), sponsor of the bill, said.

“Michigan is just one of a handful of states that have our foreign language in a separate bucket,” Lyons said.

Elbert Yeh, a science teacher in Forest Hills School District who implemented the district’s STEM Academy, said the effort was made more difficult by having only four credits to work with outside the Michigan Merit Curriculum. “In order to pursue these things, we need to give them a little more flexibility in their schedule,” he said.

Dan Behm, superintendent of Forest Hills, said districts can also be sure world languages are covered by moving them up the schedule.

“World languages are best taught at the lowest grade level,” he said, though many districts delay them until middle school or high school. “We know that the brain doesn’t retain that when taught at that level.”

Lyons said the bill retains the current language that the world language credits can be covered by courses offered in elementary or middle school.

But she noted that, as presented, the bill would potentially allow students to take more than the two credits of world language currently required and have all of those count toward graduation.

“When you’re equating foreign language with coding or any other form of CTE … that is utterly Orwellian,”Rep. Jim Townsend (D-Royal Oak).

Lyons said she would be willing to consider a proposal from Rep. Christine Grieg (D-Farmington Hills), herself a computer sciences graduate, to reduce the world languages requirement to one credit, with two credits open for 21st Century skills.

Several business officials said the change could help them to fill a skills gap.

“Learning the fundamentals of coding provides students with skills that will help them whatever career path they choose,” Michael Lomonaco of Open System Technologies said.

But he said it would line them up for the openings his and other technology firms have difficulties filling.

Linda Forward, head of the Department of Education Office of Education Improvement, did not get the opportunity to testify during the meeting but said after that the department was not planning to take a position on the bill.

This story was published by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on www.gongwer.com