Caroline Born, of Sunnyside, South Milton, writes:

Gender equality is needed at an early age for computer work. I was taken aback to discover that far more boys than girls are training in computer science.

Only eight per cent of girls take this A level in Britain which leads to university study.

Girls opt out of maths even when doing well as they want to belong and find there are in a minority.

This goes along with the image shown by research that most children, when asked to draw a person who works in technology, draw men.

Although I think there are questions about the overall benefits from our extremely rapidly technologically based world, it seems that women are being left behind.

Both sexes love gadgets, but apparently in Britain parents and teachers do not point out to girls they have the brains to build them as well.

As a result girls are missing out on a speedily developing industry that is changing the world. I would love to see the the kinds of phones and computers women would create!

I hope our South Hams schools, colleges, and parents are challenging this pattern and encouraging girls into this field, if they are so inclined. Please reassure me.