Filipino schoolchildren are computer literate

Almost 74 percent of Filipino schoolchildren surveyed nationwide are computer literate with access to the Internet, 50 percent male and 50 percent female, 45 percent aged 13-15 years, 61 percent high school students, and 54 percent enrolled in private schools.

These were among the findings of the study, Survey on Internet Access and Use by Filipino Children, conducted by [the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC)] for UNICEF. [AIJC is a founding partner of the Philippine Community eCenter Network or PhilCeCNet.]

The study also showed that 9 out of 10 schoolchildren in the Visayas and Metro Manila are Internet users, indicating that they have greater access to the Internet than their counterparts in the Cordilleras and Mindanao.

On the other hand, majority of Internet non-users are female (55%), between nine to 12 years old (51%), in grades four to six (52%), and in public schools (66%). This indicates a digital divide between children in private and public elementary schools. The study noted that while the Department of Education (DepED) has a program which provides computer packages to public high schools, this is not available to public elementary schools.

The study also showed that majority of Metro Manila schoolchildren are late users of the Internet at age 8-11 years, compared to children in the Visayas who are early users at age 2-9 years. AIJC observed that “access and appropriate use of the Internet can provide children a good head start in child development especially if they are exposed to child-friendly websites.”

Internet access is lowest among schoolchildren from Luzon (58%) and Mindanao (47%) particularly among the poorest regions and provinces where there is least access to basic social services.

Almost 9 of 10 respondents use Friendster as a social networking site. IMEEM and MP3 are the favorite sites for downloading music, Friendster, Google and Yahoo for images, Y8.com and Yahoo for games, and YouTube and Lime Wire for videos. Although Friendster requires a minimum age of 14 to be a member, a number of children below 14 reported owning a Friendster account. More than 34 percent of those who had a Friendster account are grade school pupils.

Almost 8 of 10 elementary and high school students play online games and more than 35 percent play twice or thrice a week. Four of 10 online gamers spend at least an hour at play. More than 68 percent of respondents use the Wikipedia for school work or to research for information not related to schooling.

The AIJC study recommends the adoption by the Philippine Government of a universal Internet access policy to provide “easy, affordable, and usable access to information goods and services that promote a just, democratic and inclusive society.”

It also recommends special attention for children with special needs, the implementation of Community eCenters nationwide, and continuing education of children on Proprietary Rights, among others. On the legislative side, the study strongly recommends laws on Child Pornography and Cyber Crimes, among others. It also cited the vital role of family and community, business and industry, and the education sector in guiding and supporting children on Internet use and related concerns.

(Source: AIJC website)