No phones in schools, education stakeholders say

Education stakeholders have criticised a unionist who said students should be allowed to use their mobile phones in school.

This they said would escalate problems that have recently rocked the sector instead of promoting learning.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Secretary General Akelo Misori said secondary schools would lose their meaning if students were allowed to have mobile phones.

“A school is not a market place where everyone is allowed to do what pleases them. It is an institution where there must be order,” Mr Misori said.

He said that at a time when the sector was battling a myriad of challenges, which include indiscipline and cheating in national examinations, the move was uncalled for.

Promote learning

“We should create a culture that promotes learning in schools and not one that will encourage vices,” he said.

Kenya Private Schools Association Chairperson Mutheu Kasanga trashed the idea that the move was going to improve the adoption of ICT in schools as claimed by Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

She said there were a number of devices that schools can rely on to promote e-learning.

“In the private sector pupils and students use computers and tablets to learn because they can easily be monitored and supervised by teachers,” said Ms Kasanga.

But Uwezo Kenya Country Director Emmanuel Manyasa supported Mr Sossion’s idea, saying the devices should be allowed in schools but stiff policy guidelines on their usage be enacted.