How important is the Net for children's learning?

Internet Strategies for Education Markets: The Heller Report, Sept, 2001

A recent Associated Press (New York, NY, www.ap.org) poll asked, "These days, how important is the ability for children to use the Internet for schoolwork? Would you say it is extremely important, very important, somewhat important or not at all important?" Overall, the nation seems split.

Men found it more important than women did, with 52% of men responding with extremely-very and 43% somewhat-not important. Conversely, only 42% of women said extremely-very important, and 54% somewhat-not important.

Individuals ages 18-34 nearly mirrored the responses from men. 42% of individuals age 65 and over said extremely-very important, 43% said somewhat-not important, and 15% said they didn't know. 53% of black respondents selected extremely-very important compared to only 46% of white respondents.

The largest discrepancy was between metro residents and rural residents (metro: 50% extremely-very and 46% somewhat-not; rural: 34% extremely-very and 60% somewhat-not). Democrats regard the Internet as more important than Republicans or Independents do, and those percentages look similar to the split between men and women. Parents were about evenly split.