MADRID, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Spain will include the programming of robots and the use of drones as a way of introducing students to the challenges of the future, according to a communique published by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport on Monday.
"The objective of school will be to initiate the students to the world of programming robots, which work in an attractive way with content linked to mechanic and electronics," said the document.
The Spanish government wants to use the subject to be available to students between the ages of 16-18 and to those taking Professional Formation courses, which are open to students of all ages, to strengthen learning in the field of technology.
The communique says students will use a "robot simulator" in order to learn the "python programming language for items such as drones, automatic Formula 1 cars or robots, such as the PiBot."
The program will be introduced in the 2018-19 academic year, with the aim of "offering open educational resources, training, and technological solutions, which help teachers incorporate these abilities in the classroom."
The initiative sees Spain follow the roadmap of the European Commission, which considers understanding digital technology to be "a fundamental ability for the XXI century."
The ministry also explains that its most recent investigations show that incorporating experiences such as programming and robotics in the first years of school can have a positive effect in motivating girls in subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
