Pupils say computers only a game

Nearly 70 per cent of children use computers only for games and only 29 per cent use software for schoolwork, a survey showed yesterday.

It questioned 500 parents and 500 pupils from five primary schools who joined a pilot scheme in the last school year to try out a school-based computer awareness and learning programme.

The poll showed 90 per cent of students said they had experience using computers. But 68 per cent said they used only games-related programmes.

Seventy-four per cent admitted they wanted to learn more about computers so they could play more games.

The figures were contained in a learning kit released yesterday by the Education Department.

The survey also found most parents supported the promotion of information technology in schools.

But nine per cent feared their children over-used computers, five per cent feared their children would be distracted from academic study and three per cent feared their offspring would not know how to communicate with people because of their obsession with computers.