Incessant innovation is the key to economic growth suggested Martin Wolf in The Financial Times. “Historical experience confirms that growth is a race to the top,” he wrote. “It means exploiting new opportunities that generate enduring advantages in high-productivity sectors and so high wages.”
Could this have meaning for Mississippi? And what role, if any, should government play?
Yes. And government does have a role Wolf said, drawing from “Windows of Opportunity” by David Sainsbury.
“There are four possible strategies towards innovation: leave it to the market; support the supply of relevant factors of production (science and skilled people); support key industries and technologies; and pick specific firms/technologies/products.” According to Sainsbury Wolf said, “that governments should do the second and third, but not the last.”
They may not have read Wolf’s essay or Sainsbury’s book, but two Biloxi legislators have bought into the notions that Mississippi needs science and skilled people to spur innovative economic growth and that government has a role in providing that.
Sen. Scott Delano and Rep. Kevin Felsher introduced bills to require “the study of computers, algorithmic processes, coding and logical thinking, including computer principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation and their impact on society” in all K-12 schools. The House and Senate both passed similar versions of the Mississippi Computer Science And Cyber Education Equality Act. Felsher said he expected the House to concur with a Senate technical amendment which would assure final passage. The bill would then go to the Governor for final approval.
BILL CRAWFORD
The bill says that from school year 2022-23 through 2024-25 all elementary schools must phase in offering at least one hour of computer science instruction weekly; all middle schools must phase in offering instruction in the “foundations of computer science” which includes computational thinking, problem-solving, programming, cyber security, data science, robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and other computer science and cyber-related content; and all high schools must phase in offering at least one class in computer science.
“We want every student to have the same opportunities to pursue computer science regardless of where they live or what school they attend,” Felsher said.
With most innovation today involving cyber technology and computers, the two legislators are on to something. If innovation is key to future economic growth, Mississippi needs both innovators who can develop businesses and a workforce able to support innovation based business and industry. K-12 schools can play a vital role in developing both. Government could and should make that happen.
Introducing young minds to the marvels of computer science, teaching them fundamentals, and developing early skills are great goals. Having the teachers, textbooks, and materials to make this happen are something else. A $1 million commitment from the C Spire Foundation to help school districts with teacher training and implementation helps. Legislative funding will also be needed.
Good work guys, but keep pushing.
“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” – Mark 2:22.
» BILL CRAWFORD is a syndicated columnist from Jackson
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