By Andy Merrett
Mar 24, 2011
Pupils air their views in new BBC News school report survey
For adults, the Census is the (literally) must-fill-in survey of the year.
For 24,000 11-16 year-olds from more than 300 schools across the UK, the BBC News School Report online survey was the place to air views of life, home, technology, faith and other topical issues.
Carried out with the Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education (RSSCSE), it provides an interesting snapshot of what it’s like to be an 11-16 year-old in 2011.
Interesting points to come out of the survey included:
Religion
- One in three children said they didn’t have a religion.
- A similar number said they didn’t believe in a god
- 40% said they did believe in a god or gods.
Technology
- Two out of three children have Internet access on their mobile phone.
- Nearly three-quarters send text messages to keep in touch with friends, while around two-thirds use social networking sites.
- Nearly every child said they had a computer at home, though this wasn’t surprising given that the survey was conducted online.
- Most kids help their parents with web sites and email.
Money
- A third of children said they knew someone who had lost their job.
- A similar number said their family had cut back on spending.
- A quarter said their family went out less often.
- Only a fifth said they had not been affected by the current economic climate.
Feeling Safe
- The biggest threats in the world are terrorism (nearly 60%) and climate change (nearly 50%) according to those surveyed.
- 4% of children said they never felt safe where they lived.
- Half of those surveyed said crime, or alcohol and drugs, posed the biggest threat to their own life.
Hopes and Aspirations
- The biggest aspiration is to be a homeowner (35%), followed by earning a lot (31%) and meeting a partner or getting married (25%).
Politics and Monarchy
- Under half of children said they would vote when they turned 18.
- 35% of children said they weren’t interested in the Royal Family.
Sport, Leisure, Transport
- Half of respondents said they did less than two hours of sport per week at school.
- Two-thirds said they were interested in the London Olympics.
- Over two-thirds of children had been involved in acting, singing, dancing or playing a musical instrument.
- A third of children walk to school; a similar number use public transport. Only 2% walked. A quarter were brought in by car.
Home Life
- 22% of children speak two or three languages when talking to friends and family.
- Nearly all children either live with mum and/or dad.
More extensive results can be seen here: BBC survey reveals snapshot of UK schoolchildren
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