Vint Cerf, a founding father of the Internet, has backed the call for computer science to be included in the Government’s new EBacc qualification, which is being phased into schools in place of GCSEs.

Cerf, VP and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, added to the discussion following the publication of a report from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, calledThe Case for Computer Science as an option in the English Baccalaureate.

The paper argues that the study of computer science at school is essential to the competitiveness of our digital economy and to ensure the UK has a strong supply of people capable of creating the technology of the future.

As it stands, the qualification, which the Government says is intented to increase standards and rigour in schools, will include English, maths, science, a modern foreign language and either history or geography.

“Every student should be offered the chance to gain a rigorous computer science qualification before they leave school,” Cerf said. “The UK Government could make this happen by including computer science as an option in the English Baccalaureate school performance measure.

“This will help headteachers realise that computer science is as important for the future success of their students as other scientific subjects such as maths or physics.”

The report includes the opinions of a range of experts from Microsoft, Google, IBM, BT, Facebook, Raspberry Pi and Russell Group university computer science departments.