Smart Phones In Schools: A Teaching Aid Or Distraction?

Monitor Editor | Monday August 28, 2017 11:49

The reason advanced by the minister is that students can use smart phones and laptops as a learning tool. Smart phones and laptops of course are necessary, and they can be used as learning tools, with proper controls put in place. The minister argued that teachers would have to “manage their classrooms and make sure that the gadgets are used properly and according to teachers’ rules”. The statement surely makes sense, in a perfect world.

Teachers have complained about conditions of service for a long time. The number of students in public schools per class per teacher is overwhelming. Public schools across the country still have the challenge of overcrowding, where it is not uncommon for students to exceed 40 in a class.

The situation is already a challenge for teachers, as it is impossible for them to assess each and every student’s character, and give those who seem to be lagging behind the necessary support. With that said, should the ban on cellphone and smartphone use in schools be lifted, how easy or difficult is it going to be to control the use of the gadgets, especially considering the number of students per one teacher is overwhelmingly large?

Students already smuggle cellphones into classrooms, and most of them rarely use the phones for educational purposes, but rather for texting, tweeting, Snap-chatting, Instagram, Facebook and Yotube, just to mention a few. How is this one teacher going to ensure that these gadgets, now to be allowed to enter school premises freely, are used properly?

How are teachers expected to be able to check whether each and every student is using these gadgets properly or according to the teachers’ rules? Nowadays most children own cellphones, and they are on different social media platforms. Some parents decide to ensure confiscate the phones during school days to minimise disruption, and only allow them to use the gadgets during school holidays.

It is fact that smartphones, have many educational applications, which can benefit students greatly. But how is the challenge of managing the use going to be overcome? If we are not careful, these gadgets are going to discourage some students from studying as they would rather resort to piggybacking for answers on the Internet as the teacher asks questions.