Cellphone usage among students in both basic and senior high schools has become a significant distraction, often leading to activities like posting on social media, watching YouTube videos, browsing the internet, texting friends, or making and receiving calls during class. As a response, bans on cellphone use in educational institutions aim to curb students' distraction, interruptions in learning, and disciplinary issues associated with this practice.
However, these bans are frequently being violated by students who continue to bring their phones to school, including into the classroom. While some people call for stricter enforcement of the ban and punitive measures against those who break the rules, others argue that students may need their phones for educational purposes.
When questioned about whether students were complying with the ban, the headmaster of an undisclosed senior high school in the Eastern Region stated that compliance was not complete, and they confiscated phones when discovered. He linked the widespread use of phones in the school to poor WAEC (West African Examinations Council) results two years ago, noting that many phones were confiscated during examinations. He also expressed concerns about the devices being a distraction, with many seized phones containing inappropriate content like pornography.
Although he didn't provide specific numbers, the school head suggested that phones could be regulated to limit their use to educational purposes.
Madam Theodore Jackson, an educationist and principal of the Jackson College of Education, acknowledged that mobile phones are not inherently negative but expressed concerns about their abuse. She noted that phones had become a significant distraction for youth, taking up a substantial portion of their time and allowing unrestricted access to various content, both positive and negative. She estimated that a substantial number of students disregarded the ban on mobile phone use in schools and partly blamed parents for this trend, as many provided their children with phones.
Madam Theodore suggested that schools should be allowed to own phones that could be provided to students for specific subjects, such as English phonetics or research, as part of the learning process.
Several students who were interviewed justified bringing their phones to school despite the ban. They argued that communication with family and friends outside school was essential, and some believed that school authorities did not actively search for mobile phones among students. Some felt emboldened to bring their phones to school because of the perceived lack of enforcement.
In summary, the ban on cellphone use in schools is met with mixed responses, with some advocating for stricter enforcement, while others emphasize the need for phones in educational contexts. Students continue to flout the ban, citing various reasons for doing so.