Schools, students, computers and curriculum in victoria in the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

Although computers today are commonplace and are widely used at all levels of education, prior to the mid-1970s the idea of introducing school students to the use of computers, or of a school owning its own computer was difficult to imagine. This chapter tells the story of the introduction of computers into schools in Victoria, Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. It begins by looking at school computing before the PC and then goes on to describe the use of computers at Watsonia High School where I was teaching at the time. I describe my involvement and experiences with computers in schools in this exciting period, in particular looking at computing curricula: Computers in Society and Computer Science at Watsonia High. The chapter also tells of the Commonwealth Computer Education Program and the various support structures that were put in place to assist schools. It consists of a reflection on my own experiences of school computing during this period.