On the contrary these are not orthogonal to the base premise of everyone needs to learn programming.
Reading and Writing is not something you learn just because it's beneficial to society. It's beneficial to one-self's life as it's the bases for communication. It can be placed on safety needs or belonging needs on the Maslows' Hierarchy of needs.
Basic arithmetic is requirement for continuity of one's life as you can't plan resource management (money, food) to function without it. It could be put on the safety needs.
I am having trouble positioning programming in any level below self actualization.
Not everyone should hold a PhD in compiler design, but simply being able to write some BASIC commands might be hugely beneficial to society.