Sossion: Allow secondary students to have phones in school

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has set off a fresh controversy within the education sector by demanding that government should allow secondary students to own phones in schools.

Sossion said as part of digitizing education in the country the government should allow students to own phones to aid them in their learning.

"Phones are just computers and our students should be allowed to own them in school to assist in their learning and research if the government wants to digitize learning and education in the country," Sossion said.

"Let us not continue imprisoning them while dreaming of revolutionizing ICT in the country. Innovations in the IT are done by youth and the country should move in that direction," he added.

He said there was need to immediately lift the ban on phones in schools, calling on Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i to issue a circular immediately on the same.

The Knut Secretary General said it was misleading to make Kenyans believe that phones aid in exam cheating.

He said with the fast changing technology in the world, the country risks trailing by denying students to explore technology through their learning.

"Kenyans should not be misled that cheating is being aided by parent visit to schools in third term or phones or even phones while it is common knowledge that people at the Examination Council are behind leakages," Sossion said.

"Learners are being held back from breaking new grounds by being denied to utilize technology and it should be given priority so that the country can move fast," he added.

Sossion said change of term dates and ban of social activities in schools during 3^rd term should be revoked for calm to resume in schools.

He at the same time asked Teachers Service Commission to revoke interdiction of teachers from a section of schools in the country over students’ unrest, adding that teachers had been victimized over a situation they had no control over.