While the overall tone was a bit antagonistic for me, I tend to agree with the premise of the title of this article. As someone who runs coding training programs for adults, I don't think you can teach someone coding in a matter of weeks, anymore than you can teach them Spanish in a matter of weeks. However, if you're going to make coding your career, a course that covers the basics and puts you on a good footing, especially if linked with work experience, is the best way to embark on the learning and exploration that the author discusses.
Nevertheless, I don't see why we could put say HTML in the same category as Excel- why shouldn't everyone in the world be able to make a webpage? We teach reading + writing, not to make everyone a journalist or a novelist, but so that we can express our thoughts and communicate our ideas. HTML (and even CSS) are basic enough for any professional to pick-up and are empowering skills to learn; without relying on third-party means to publish your own information on-line.
One last thing - in the UK, Excel is one of the skills listed under I.T. apprenticeships, if you can find a company who offers that.
Nevertheless, I don't see why we could put say HTML in the same category as Excel- why shouldn't everyone in the world be able to make a webpage? We teach reading + writing, not to make everyone a journalist or a novelist, but so that we can express our thoughts and communicate our ideas. HTML (and even CSS) are basic enough for any professional to pick-up and are empowering skills to learn; without relying on third-party means to publish your own information on-line.
One last thing - in the UK, Excel is one of the skills listed under I.T. apprenticeships, if you can find a company who offers that.