In the UK, computing is not generally taught in schools; instead, something called C&IT (Communications and Information Technology) or Business IT tends to dominate. Some schools do teach computing, and some schools do it really well. But it's safe to say that much of the computing that goes on in schools is aimed at technology consumers rather than technology creators. How to use office packages, how to do digital image manipulation, how to build spreadsheets... maybe how to build web-pages. But it's possible to get an A-level in IT without doing any programming, or knowing how a computer really works behind the keyboard.
I am involved in two initiatives which try and address this - Technocamps, and Computing at School.
Technocamps is an EU funded project encouraging 11- to 19-year-olds in the Welsh convergence area to engage with proper computing, through the running of Technocamps in which partner universities (Swansea, Aberystwyth, Bangor and Glamorgan) run short intensive courses on fun computing. The project is just getting started, but the aim for the Aberystwyth part is to run workshops with robots & cool artificial intelligence stuff. Workshops will last from a day to a week, and will either involve the schoolkids coming to us, or us going out into schools. If you're interested in getting involved in this (particularly if you're a teacher) drop me an email on hmd1@aber.ac.uk.
Computing at School is a grassroots initiative run by teachers and other people concerned about the state of computing education in the UK, with support from some seriously big hitters (e.g. Microsoft and the Royal Society). If you're interested in this issue, you can join their mailing list and find more information on http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/.
They run teachers' conferences, and 6th form conferences, and have a lot of input into policy matters in this area. My particular contributions come through Technocamps, and through my interest in supporting women and girls in technology. It seems that women's under-representation in computing and IT starts early; pretty much as soon as it's possible for girls to drop computing, lots of them do. So I think it's important to look at the school picture as well as the situation in university and the workplace.