During 1987, 108 schools - 76 primary (including 8 special schools) and 32 postprimary schools from the Northern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne provided responses to a questionnaire concerning three major issues of school computer use: numbers and brands of computers in schools, and major areas of computer usage; priorities for computer usage and the relationship between computer practices and the school's computer policy; and a sample of innovative programs. This thesis reviews responses from the schools to the major areas of the survey and details innovative computer use in eight selected schools. Implications of the survey are then compared with current trends from a small sample of schools in three areas of North America. The issues, outcomes and conclusions arising from the study are of direct relevance to current and future computer use in many schools.