Ministry to look into mobile phones in schools

EDUCATION Minister Pefkios Georgiades said yesterday a two month study has been launched into mobile phones in schools to see how the problem can be resolved.

Georgiades said there would be a dialogue between the Ministry, parents and also students to come up with a solution.

“I would prefer if this issue was resolved in collaboration with the students,” said Georgiades.
“If it is resolved jointly with them the results will be much better.”

The Minister said it was not decided yet whether there would be a total ban. Various possibilities would be looked at, he said including a special area where phone could be kept during school hours, and the idea of blocking the signal in schools.

An experiment was already under way at the Ayios Vasilios Gymnasium in which special boxes have been set up for pupils to place their mobile telephones during lessons.

Last week Greece banned all mobile phones from schools after a Bulgarian pupil was raped and the incident recorded by other female classmates on their mobiles. There has also been a huge rise in the UK of “happy slapping” incidents where people record violent attacks on mobiles.

Psychologists say the prevalence of the phones and having the opportunity to record on mobile phones increases such incidents as young people compete to come up with the most shocking incidents.
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