The average secondary invested just over pound;60,000, nearly six times as much as the average primary. Special schools spent pound;13,300.

But in terms of spending-per-pupil, the gap between primary and secondary schools is much narrower. Primary schools spent pound;35 per pupil on ICT used for teaching purposes. Secondary schools spent pound;54 and special schools pound;131.

A significant proportion of ICT spending was for management and administration purposes.

Spending ranged from pound;7 per pupil in primary schools to pound;12 in secondary and pound;35 in special schools. Spending per pupil on management and administration has fallen in primary schools from 27 per cent of the overall ICT bill to 17 per cent. But it has risen slightly elsewhere, from 17 to 18 per cent in secondary schools and from 20 to 21 per cent in special schools.

The growth in ICT spending seems to have taken up around 10 per cent of the extra funding made available to schools between 1998 and 2000. Spending on ICT also poses important longer-term funding issues for schools which will have to replace outdated equipment and software.

Fortunately, the percentage of computers over three years old has dropped, from nearly 60 per cent in 1998 to 43 per cent in 2001. So computers may not have to be replaced in the short term.

However, as the average secondary school now has more than 120 computers, and the average primary nearly 21, money for replacement hardware will always be an issue.

John Howson is managing director of Education Data Surveys. Email john.howson@lineone.net