President Donald Trump signs a memorandum to expand access to STEM, science technology engineering and math, education in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump has directed the education secretary to prioritize science and technology education and to spend at least $200 million annually on competitive grants so schools can broaden access to computer science education in particular.
Trump says more than half of U.S. high schools don't teach computer programming.
He says greater access to such instruction will help students develop the skills they need to compete and win in the future.
Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and senior White House adviser on the issue, says it's vital that students learn how to write computer code and study computer science. She says early exposure to both is vital.
Ivanka Trump says she'll visit Detroit on Tuesday with private sector officials as they announce pledges to support computer science education.
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