Effective use of ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) by student teachers is vital if these technologies are going to be successfully used in the education of children in schools. An earlier study identified three main obstacles that could have limited ICT uptake by student teachers in 1996/97: student access to computers; the ICT policy adopted by initial teacher training providers; and the lack of encouragement for students to use ICT in teaching practice. This paper presents a comparative study of the ICT competence and attitudes of a similar cohort of student teachers in the 1999/2000 academic year, attending a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education course to teach in United Kingdom secondary schools. It argues that, while the overall sample of 1999/2000 student teachers appeared to be more competent and confident in the use of ICT than in 1996/97, female and younger students lagged behind their male and older peers. This issue needs to be addressed in the ICT policy adopted by initial teacher training providers. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/MES)