A bill, introduced by Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, would mandate that public and charter schools provide one hour of coding instruction once between grades 4 to 12. Kavanagh said it’s critical for students to learn the language – even if it’s only one session – so they can better compete for jobs in today’s world.

However, some legislators don’t believe a state mandate is the right approach.

Senate Bill 1136 has passed the Senate, and it’s headed to the House of Representatives.

Kavanagh said he was skeptical about coding and its role in the future. But he changed his mind after learning that major technology companies were having trouble finding domestic coders and talking with his son, who works at a tech company.

“He said almost all professionals will have to know how to do computer coding,” Kavanagh said. “Doctors, lawyers, accountants – they’re all going to have to go into the programs they use and customize (the applications) for their needs.”

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