Internet at schools

Fri, Jan 09, 2015

Editor: The Ministry of Education has given to almost all students a netbook/laptop that should encourage students to read more and to have information at their fingertips via the Internet.{{more}}

Recently, I have been reliably informed that this Internet is limited; the focus seems to be in the direction of blocking Facebook. The reason given is that the students will spend too much time on Facebook. This seems so backward in today’s world where so many things are connected through the Facebook platform — news, subject groups, you name it, it’s on Facebook. So this, I feel, is a backward move on the part of the Ministry of Education; many students and teachers alike use it as a cheap way of communicating.

It reminds me of when cell phones were officially banned by the Ministry of Education; as a matter of fact it is still against the rules to have a cell phone on school compounds. In 2015, this is utter nonsense. Phones are banned and laptops are permitted!! They do the same things. Some schools even use this as a way to raise funds, by charging students a fine to retrieve confiscated phones.

I am calling on those concerned to free up the Internet, give the kids and the teachers access to Facebook; they will find other sites to spend time on, so it really defeats the purpose. Finally, please allow the children to keep their phones in school, with some internal rules.

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