NC lawmakers agree students should take both computer science and earth science
North Carolina lawmakers have reached a compromise that would require students to take a computer science course without eliminating a required earth science course.
The N.C. House State Government Committee backed a revised bill on Thursday that reduces the number of required elective courses to fit in a new standalone computer science graduation requirement. Rep. Erin Paré said the bill has “evolved” since the prior plan to eliminate earth science to add in computer science.
“We’re not dealing with science credits now at all,” said Paré, a Wake County Republican and the bill’s primary sponsor. “We’re decreasing the number of required elective credits by one.”
North Carolina high school students currently must complete at least 22 credits to graduate. That includes six elective credits and three science credits: physical science, biology and earth science/environmental science.
The previous version of House Bill 8 would have made room for the new computer science requirement by directing the State Board of Education to eliminate one of the science credits. While the bill didn’t say which science course would be cut, Paré said it would likely be earth science.
Cutting an elective instead
But the proposed elimination of earth science drew complaints from Democratic lawmakers at last week’s House K-12 Education Committee meeting. An amendment by Rep. Rosa Gill, a Wake County Democrat, to reduce the number of elective credits instead of science credits was rejected at last week’s meeting.
But Gill’s idea was revived this week.
“I think now in conjunction with the Education Committee chairs, those colleague from the other side of the aisle, we have come to this conclusion,” Paré said Thursday. “I think this is ready for prime time and ready to go.”
The legislation would make computer science a standalone graduation requirement beginning with ninth-grade students in the 2024-25 school year. School districts would have to offer computer science courses in middle schools and high schools by the 2026-27 school year.
“The idea of incorporating a computer science graduation credit is needed as 70% of our future workforce is going to require a baseline knowledge in computer science, Paré said. “This isn’t a matter of if we should do this. It’s a matter of how we do it.”
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This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 12:46 PM with the headline "NC lawmakers agree students should take both computer science and earth science."
