Under the new law, Act 211, which took effect Aug. 1, public schools with students in grades 6-8 must start teaching the basics of computer science in the 2026-27 school year.

INSKEEP: What he's saying is they found a way to talk to a computer, more or less, in English. It's English that's being used. PALCA: Right.

How BASIC Opened Up Computers to All of Us 50 years ago, a new programming language for the everyman helped unlock the potential of modern computing.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, BASIC continued its prominent role as a programming interface and quasi-operating system for popular home computers such as the Atari 800, TRS-80, Commodore VIC ...