[Causality1]

Yes, they can. No, you can't force them to learn it in a practical way quite the same as you can, say, algebra. It's like teaching kids to paint. If you magically made everyone interested in painting most kids could become decent painters, but in real life they just aren't. Teaching a programming course to the general school population won't make 80% of kids capable of programming any more than compulsory art classes would make them into graphic designers.