St George’s School invited girls from 12 state and private schools across Edinburgh* to an event yesterday (Wednesday 11 December), Women in Computing, aimed to inspire, motivate and empower females from P6 upwards to take their first steps towards a future in computing and technology.
The event was opened and attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP.
A collaborative event, business leaders, former St George’s alumnae, and educators were brought together to provide a hands-on learning experience. There were keynote speeches, live panel discussions, Q&A sessions and interactive workshops, with students immersing themselves in cutting-edge technologies across fields like robotics, programming, AI, VR, and cybersecurity.
The mission of the event was to enthuse and empower girls, and highlight the range of careers available in technology, from leading, innovating to coding. The event featured successful women in the field, demonstrating to students that “if you can see it, you can be it.” Surrounded by role models, attendees saw first-hand what is possible.
With an impressive line-up, girls met and interacted with leaders shaping the future of tech, from companies like i-confidential, AND Digital, Storm ID, Smart Data Foundry, Global Logic, MoneyMatiX, Free Agent, Skyscanner and Turing Fest. There were also innovative demos and interactive games from real robots from the Robotics Lab at the University of Edinburgh, the National Robotarium, APRIL Hub and FCLabs. Girls learnt to code with dedicated coding sessions by Rewriting the Code, Amazon and dressCode.
Fields traditionally underrepresented by women, there is an ongoing crisis in computing science education across Scotland, with a recent report by Reform Scotland revealing that 66 secondary schools lack a dedicated teacher and only one in five girls take up higher computing science.
Data from dressCode, a Scottish charitable organisation that aspire to make a dent in the computing science gender gap, underscores the gravity of the situation by revealing that there has been a 25% decline in computing science teachers over the past 15 years, and that 50% of girls would consider studying computing science if they had more role models and encouragement.
It is vital now more than ever to encourage young women into this crucial field.
Rebecca, a P6 pupil from St George’s, said: “There were lots of interesting events today, and I’ve learned new things about robotics and areas of technology that I’ve never thought about before.
“It was also a great opportunity to meet other schools, make friends, and hear about the exciting robots.”
Charlotte, a P7 pupil from Blackhall Primary, said: “The entire audience was girls! It was great to learn more about science today, and the robots were so fun and cool.
“It was inspiring to see female role models and women doing these roles. I learned that in these jobs, not everything works the first time so you have to do lots of trial and error and try new things.”
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth said: “We want all young people to be enthused by the wonder of STEM, and initiatives like Women in Computing help inspire girls and young women to consider the advantages of studying or pursuing a career in tech, which has been traditionally dominated by boys and young men.
“Positive role models can be extremely powerful in helping guide young people in their subject choices, which is why we are funding Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) to support teachers in engaging, nurturing and inspiring the next generation of talent in their classroom.
“Women in Computing provides girls and young women from Edinburgh schools with a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience of what computing can offer them, and I was excited to meet pupils, teachers and exhibitors.”
Carol Chandler-Thompson, Head of St George’s School, said: “It was important for us to open up our Women in Computing event to other girls in Edinburgh.
“As well as there being a significant gender gap in computing, there is sadly also a lack of access to computing education in many schools. Over 32,000 students1 in Scottish secondary schools have no access to a qualified Computing Science teacher, and we know the issue is worse in areas with higher levels of deprivation.
“All of us at St George’s want to make a difference and play a role in reversing these trends by creating an environment that fosters girls’ interest in, and access to, technology. We were delighted to welcome brilliant speakers, exhibitors and pupils from across Edinburgh to our school.”
Toni Scullion, Founder of dressCode and Computing Science Scotland, said: “It was an honour for dressCode to be partnering with St George’s on this event, and the Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science group were equally proud to be supporting the day.
“Compared to other traditional STEM subjects, Computing Science has the largest gender gap and faces many challenges, a situation that has persisted for over a decade and unfortunately still does.
“While there has been some progress in overall uptake, including an increase in female participation, the progress is minimal. While this progress should be recognised, it is crucial that we avoid becoming complacent.”
Blessing Adogame, UK Community Development Manager at Rewriting the Code, said: “Rewriting the Code was really excited to support what was an incredible event at St. George’s.
“With girls comprising only one in five entries to Higher Computing Science in Scotland, we are committed to closing the gender gap and are bringing members from our community to provide vital representation and share their journeys to inspire more young women to see themselves in the tech industry.”
