THE TEAM from Webster’s High School in Kirriemuir came first yesterday in a competition held at Arbroath High School to encourage more young people to consider studying computer sciences.

Dundee firm C2 Software supported and sponsored the challenge day for all the Angus secondary schools in a bid to reverse the decline in places sought on computing courses in Scotland’s colleges and universities.

The initiative was the brainchild of Carole Munro, principal teacher curriculum (technology), of Arbroath High School and saw each of the eight Angus schools enter a team of four third year pupils to produce a page for a website promoting their town.

The pupils were asked to use specialist software, which they were only introduced to and given basic instruction on yesterday, to produce their web page.

The teams had just three hours to complete the task and were then asked to sell the finished product to a panel of clients, including research and development director of C2 Software Kirk Potter, Angus Council education ICT manager Alan Fyffe, marketing officer (tourism) with Angus Council Ann Butler and Donna Fordyce of Interactive Tayside.

The initiative aimed to offer pupils the chance to learn how applied computer skills can be used in a real world situation, encouraging them to see computer science as more than just gaming and web browsing.

Over the past few years, computer science has been a declining area of interest in Scottish schools, with fewer third and fifth year pupils opting to take it as a subject. This has had a knock-on effect in Scottish universities, with demand for places on computing and IT courses becoming less and less, despite the expanding opportunities in this area for business.

Carole Munro said, “Computing science is not seen as a particularly easy route to take through secondary school or, for that matter, university.

“Although many pupils have access to technology at home, they are perhaps not using it correctly.

“Many of our pupils do not see the opportunities available to graduates, especially in an economic climate where so many other industries are in decline.

“The idea behind this competition was simply to generate enthusiasm amongst Angus pupils for computing subjects and to raise their awareness of where it could take them.”

It is hoped the competition will become an annual event, with each of the eight participating Angus schools taking it in turn to host the event.

Mr Potter said, “The school pupils of today are the business people of tomorrow and it is imperative we arm them with the technological experience they will need to succeed.”