ICT, Computing, Education Technology -- what's in a name?

Over the years there have been several terms ascribed to the subject now known as Computing. First, there was Information Technology (IT), then Information and Communication Technology (ICT, aka Information and Communications Technology by some, and in some parts of the world.

There is also education technology, technology (in the USA), e-learning, digital education, digital literacy, informatics....

Then there are the debates. For example, quite recently there was discussion as to whether the subject should be divided into IT, digital literacy and Computing. Twenty years or so ago there was debate as to whether the term "IT" should be reserved for the subject and ICT for ed tech used across the curriculum.

Such debates are useful, if not essential, at the time, but seem quaint, even amusing, in retrospect.

I was reminded of this when I came across the passage below in a book published in 1948. Bear in mind the recent decision by the Department for Education in England to turn all schools into academies. (The view expressed by many people that the decision was not recent at all, and that only the announcement of it was, is something I strongly suspect is the case, but I do not know for certain.)

Anyway, here is the passage I was referring to:

"... in future all schools for children over the age of eleven will be called Secondary Schools.

That is to say that whilst Secondary Schools will retain their titles and remain Secondary Schools, Senior Modern Schools will be renamed Secondary Modern Schools, and Technical Schools Secondary Technical Schools. ... From which, if you have followed my argument very closely, you will have deduced that all Secondary Schools are to be known as Secondary Schools -- a truly daring and revolutionary conception."

From All This and Turnham Too, by Jane Hope. Last time I looked, there were copies going for a penny on Amazon. Here's the link, which is an affiliate link. That means, if you buy a copy of the book for a penny, I will get 5% of the price. I am not sure what 5% of a penny is, but that is the situation as I understand it.

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