I think the only reason they taught everyone programming at High School when I was a freshman was because they were gifted with these computers and they needed to show they were doing somthing with them. Thye KNEW they would be important for every kid to gain computer skills but they wasn't much else to do with them but learn how to program at that time. The class was only 3 times a month taken out of a students math class. It really only gave most students a taste of what programming was like.
I do agree more students should know some programming. Not sure where you fit it in the schedule.
I had a H.S. principal (not for my son's school) last year tell me that he thought the emphasis on foreign languages was misplaced in college requirements. When I called him on it he said that he did agree learning another language was important but that 2-3 year of H.S. classes didn't teach you fluency and that there were many more important skills students could learn in H.S. That a lot of students were missing out on other important and useful H.S. coursework because of the college language requirement.
