In Britain, the girls are beating the boys these days when it comes to information technology. A new study by a foundation that raises money for computers in the classroom has found that school-age girls perform basic tasks such as downloading online files better than their male counterparts.
The U.K. study was undertaken by Tesco Computers for Schools, an organization sponsored by Tesco, a commercial retailer based in Hertfordshire, England. It questioned 1024 U.K. parents with children ages 7 to 16 by phone. The results of the survey found British parents gave higher marks to their daughters than their sons straight across the board when it came to understanding fundamental user skills.
The girls topped the boys with the following grades:
- Find what they need on a search engine: 83%
- Create and edit a word document: 73%
- Download photos: 52%
- Create a social networking profile: 44%
- Use and manipulate photography: 25%
The survey also asked the parents to rate themselves in comparison to their children at performing the same tasks and found the youngsters were in charge when it came to IT in the household. Only 40% of parents judged themselves as superior at computer use, with 57% admitting they relied on their kids for advice on doing things online and off.
The Tesco poll found that British boys and girls are as plugged into the information age as just about any other nation's. It stated that 76% spend up to 3 hours a day at the computer, with 41% responding that they "couldn't live without the Internet."
"It's great to see children really getting to grips with technology and being creative with it," commented Debra Stones, the manager of the Tesco Computers for Schools project. "Whilst most children now have access to computers, whether that is at home or at school, this is not necessarily the case when it comes to digital multimedia gadgets and other creative equipment."
She added that it is vital to equip schools with the latest educational hardware and software to foster technological "growth and development."
If you would like to participate in this worthy project, you can get onboard at a Tesco outlet by simply purchasing goods and services and redeeming special Computers for Schools vouchers. To learn more about the campaign, visit its How It Works site on the Web.
If you have any trouble finding it, you can always ask one of your children for help.
Comments (1)
I found that the headline used, " U.K. Girls Beats Boys in Computer Skills" is so confusuing!
I teach both ocational boys and girls at age 14 - 16, and that statement is a general sweeping statement.
Skillful in the following areas...
* Find what they need on a search engine: 83%
* Create and edit a word document: 73%
* Download photos: 52%
* Create a social networking profile: 44%
* Use and manipulate photography: 25%
does not neccessary mean that girls ar ebetter than boys in IT skills.
During my days, geeks were mainly boys, and that statement is still true till today actaully, and in fact I am a geek myself!
Dr. Colin Fu
Posted by Colin | March 10, 2008 4:36 PM
Posted on March 10, 2008 16:36