THE Ministry of Education says the current Education Policy does not have a provision which regulates pupils from using mobile phones in schools.
It is in view of the foregoing that the Ministry of Education is considering including the mobile phone regulatory measure as it revises the Education Policy.
Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Chishimba Nkosha said in an interview that the current Education Policy was written before the advent of mobile phones hence it being devoid of the mobile phone regulatory provision.
Mr Nkosha, however, said even with the absence of the regulatory provision in the existing Education Policy, the Ministry of Education had given schools guidelines stating that the use of mobile phones in schools should not tamper with the learning of the pupils.
“As you may be aware, the use of cell phones is a new development which began after the Education Policy had been written and at that time there was no attention paid to such issues as the use of cell phones in schools.
“So at the moment, there is no policy in our policy documents regulating the use of cell phones in schools, but the Ministry has given guidelines that the use of the cell phones should not interfere with the learning of the pupils,” he said.
Mr Nkosha said based on the ministry’s guidelines, some individual school boards and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) had come up with regulations in their schools.
He said the regulations included completely banning pupils, especially from Government schools and some Grant-aided learning institutions, from going to school with mobile phones.
Mr Nkosha said some other ‘flexible’ schools had realised that such technology had come to stay and had allowed pupils to use mobile phones outside classrooms only as carrying mobile phones in classrooms would disturb them during lessons.
“I think as we revise the policy on education, this is one thing we should pay attention to and come up with something more specific on what schools should be doing,” Mr Nkosha said.
Technology has come to stay. Pupils can come to school with phones and they should be switched off and hide them in their bags. Schools should not allow pupils to use phones within school premises.
The policy should state that pupils should not own a phone that an average teacher cannot afford…. LOL
This is not a matter for the Ministry to get involved in. They should live it to individual schools to set out their policies on cellphone use within school premises.
Common sense should prevail. They should not be allowed period! Its like uniform, it puts those who can’t afford at a social disadvantage. In the UK youngsters have even better mobile phone ? than people who are earning a living! Phones shouldn’t take over our lives. I am a great advocate of bridging the digital divide but access must be equal- again in the UK, Nigeria, South Africa the government gives our free tablets, why not in Zambia give out free smart phones as a learning tool!
@MB: What nonsense is this from you ID.IOT? Don’t turn jealous on everyone better than you! It is like saying, “if I have cant have it no one else should have it”. Are we going to wait until every lazy bum ar.se like you can afford a cell phone – that would mean waiting for ever!!
This is something that should NOT be a subject of banning – are people mad in Zambia! It is something that enhances quality of life. Parents can communicate with their children easily e.g. if they are running late to go and pick them; or kids can contact parents if they are in danger, etc. It even enhances IT skills – can download education materials freely on a Blackberry, etc. You Zambians cant come up with a sensible constitution BUT don’t transfer your hopelessness to Education