The Future Speaks Code: Why Coding for Kids Is More Relevant Than Ever

Coding isn’t dead - it's now literacy like reading, writing, and math

With the rise of artificial intelligence, some have begun asking whether coding for children is still relevant. The claim is that "AI will write the code, so why should kids bother" is an easy soundbite, but is dangerous and completely misses the bigger picture.

Lessons From History

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler

History offers perspective. When calculators became widely available, people worried that children would no longer need to learn math. Instead, the opposite happened. Understanding math became more important than ever, because without it, a calculator was just a machine spitting out numbers with no context. The same is true today. AI can write code, but only children who understand the logic behind it will know how to use it well. Coding is not about memorizing a language. It is about teaching children how to think, solve problems, and adapt to new tools that may not even exist yet.

Global Momentum

Two-thirds of countries worldwide have now introduced computer science into their national curricula, half of them in just the last five years - UNESCO

The evidence is overwhelming. According to a UNESCO study, two-thirds of countries worldwide have now introduced computer science into their national curricula, half of them in just the last five years. Researchers at MIT have shown that learning to code builds “computational thinking” a way of breaking down complex problems into steps that can be solved systematically. This skill transfers far beyond technology. Children who learn coding often show stronger abilities in math, science, and even creative writing.

The Future of Work

The job market tells a similar story. The World Economic Forum predicts that 65 percent of children entering primary school today will work in jobs that do not yet exist. How can schools prepare students for roles that are not even invented? By teaching them skills that are timeless: logic, creativity, and resilience. Coding, especially when introduced early, is one of the most effective ways to develop these capacities.

And yet, schools are struggling to deliver. Education systems were designed in the 19th century, most teachers were trained in the 20th, but our children are growing up in the 21st. In many classrooms, teachers themselves do not know how to code. In primary years, when habits of thinking are formed, coding is often treated as a side subject, squeezed between ICT and math drills. The result is frustration for both teachers and students.

A Better Way Forward

There are now four literacies - Reading, writing, math, and now coding.

That is why new approaches are emerging. Programs like Code School are stepping into the gap, not to replace schools, but to support them. At Code School, trained instructors deliver a game-based curriculum to children aged six to sixteen, showing them that coding is not boring lines of text but a way to create, play, and build. Students learn how to design their own games, apps, and projects, but more importantly, they learn how to think critically about problems. The organization has already reached students in twenty countries, winning awards like the Stanford SEED Spark and VISA She’s Next for its impact.

The narrative that “coding is dead” is not just wrong, it is dangerous.

It risks convincing parents and policymakers to pull back just when we need to lean in. The future of work will not be about who can use AI, but about who can use it well. Children who understand coding will not be outpaced by machines; they will be the ones shaping how machines are used.

So the question is not whether coding is relevant. The question is whether we are willing to give our children the literacy they need to thrive in a digital world. Reading, writing, math, and now coding. Four literacies, not three. The future speaks code. It is time every child became fluent.

Learn more about how Code School is preparing the next generation: www.codeschool.pk