Coding is often taught as a rulebook, but many programmers say the real skill is breaking a big problem down into smaller steps. If you had to teach one, what would it be, to code or make them think like a coder? How would you teach them to tackle problems?

Ans) Don’t Just Teach Children to Code. Teach Them to Think Like Coders.
Having taught Computer Science and trained teachers for 36 years, I firmly believe that logic, reasoning, and problem-solving are abilities that exist within a child from birth. Our responsibility as educators is not to create these abilities, but to nurture and help them to use these to solve problems..

Long before children encounter a computer, they recognise patterns, understand cause and effect, make choices, and find ways to overcome everyday challenges. Coding simply provides them with another language to express their thinking.

If I had to choose between teaching children how to code and teaching them how to think like coders, I would choose the latter without hesitation. Programming languages may change, technologies may become obsolete, and AI may generate code, but logical thinking and problem-solving will always remain valuable.

Start with problems, not programming languages –
 Ask children how they would organise their school day, plan a journey, or prepare for an unexpected situation. Such activities naturally introduce sequencing, decision-making, and logical reasoning.

Teach them to break big problems into smaller units.
A complex task becomes manageable when divided into simple, solvable steps. This is the essence of computational thinking.

Encourage them to ask “Why?” and “What if? – Questions develop curiosity, challenge assumptions, and help children anticipate different possibilities.
Let them make mistakes.  An error is not a failure; it is feedback. Instead of immediately correcting a child’s code, ask what they expected, what actually happened, and how they can identify the difference. This builds resilience, confidence, and independent thinking.

In the era of AI, the teacher’s role becomes even more important: to help children evaluate solutions rather than blindly accept answers.

After 36 years in education, my conviction remains unchanged: When you teach a child to code, you teach a skill, which helps  a child to think like a coder, and you equip them to solve problems for life.

We, Not I, the belief that you have instilled in us says that a  team achieves more than its most talented individual. Can you tell us about a time when a brilliant individual, who depicted this very idea in some instance by exhibiting teamwork?

Ans) Every day at Exun is a living testament to the power of collaboration, where mentors and members inspire one another to grow, create, and achieve together. At the heart of this journey lies the club’s timeless motto, “We, Not I”—a powerful reminder that true success is not about individual achievements alone, but about the collective strength, shared learning, and lasting bonds that make a team extraordinary.