Apple reports on students across Europe learning Swift

Images via Apple

A press release published by Apple today has highlighted how students across Europe are benefiting from Apple's Everyone Can Code and App Development with Swift curricula. The news comes as institutions across Europe are celebrating EU code week this October.

In a statement Apple sad:

This October, in classrooms across Europe celebrating EU Code Week, students of all ages are living proof that coding opens doors to opportunities never before possible. At Layton Primary School in Blackpool, England, coding principles are helping 5- and 6-year-olds track down a rogue dinosaur. And in Italy, at Milan's Institute De Amicis, coding is the key that unlocked a life-changing career for 28-year-old Belinda Tagariello. These schools are part of a growing number of European institutions relying on the power and versatility of iPad, Mac and Apple's Everyone Can Code and App Development with Swift curricula to teach coding to a new generation of students. Both schools say the programmes have led to more engaged, innovative learning with proven results.

Teachers from Layton Primary School in Blackpool, England spoke about how teaching their kids to code had not only given them an education in the art of coding itself, but had also transformed the way the kids approached all of their subjects. Clare Scott from the school stated:

"Children would sit there (before) and wait for things to happen... But children with a coding mentality know that if they do something, something will happen. There will be an output if they put in an input — they are more resourceful in terms of being able to tackle problems."

The release also charted the story of Belinda Tagariello. She enrolled into a government-funded program and was taught Swift. Having learnt the ropes, she now teaches that same course at the Institute De Amicis in Milan. 41 students have completed the course, producing 14 apps between them. 16 of the graduates now have jobs in the tech industry, and a further 5 went on to enroll in university. 29 students will begin the course this October.

Apple concluded by saying:

Apple's Everyone Can Code helps students from kindergarten to college and beyond learn coding to solve problems and prepare them for the workforce. With teacher guides and lessons, students learn the basics on iPad with Swift Playgrounds and App Development with Swift helps aspiring developers build their first iOS apps. Today more than 5,000 schools, community colleges and technical colleges worldwide are using Everyone Can Code curriculum.

It's incredible to see how Apple is transforming everyday lives not just through its products, but also through education. You can read the full press release here