Parents now want kids to be computer programmers

MANY parents dream of their children entering the hallowed professions of medicine, law or politics.

But far more are realising their offspring would be better off making an altogether more modern career move.

Computer programming is the number one profession that fathers want for their children, ahead of becoming an engineer, scientist or teacher.

While mothers are more traditional – teaching is still the number one job they want their children to aim for – computer programmer also makes it into their top five, ahead of doctors, lawyers and lecturers.

And as many as one in ten parents would be happy for their children to become ‘vloggers’ who document their lives on YouTube – rising to a third among younger parents.

In contrast, just 9 per cent of mothers and fathers want their children to become doctors and just 5 per cent politicians.

The survey of 1,000 parents with youngsters aged five to ten was carried out by artificial intelligence company Anki.

It revealed that, even though coding – writing and testing computer programmes – is now taught routinely on the national curriculum, fewer than one in five parents understand what it is all about.

One in ten are so clueless they think it teaches pupils how to hack into people’s private data, while 5 per cent even believe it helps control our minds.