[eterpstra]

This conflation is unfortunate. The push towards teaching critical thinking and creative problem solving is the right direction, IMO, and introducing some basic programming tools can help with that. Unfortunately there are a lot of parents that don't see the value and just want their kids to "get good at computers" so they can find a good job in "the future." They badger the schools to crank up the "STEM stuff" so kiddo can grow up and nab one of those obscene starting salaries and be the next [insert infamous tech CEO here].