State official canvasses ban on cell phone usage in schools

A stakeholder in the education sector in Imo state on Thursday called for a restriction in the use of cell phones by primary and secondary school students during school hours.

Mrs Gertrude Oduka, the Chairman of Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB), made the call in an interactive session with newsmen during the opening ceremony of 2015 Cluster Training of Imo teachers.

Oduka criticised the use of cell phones by school pupils and students, and called on the state government to stop its usage by students during school hours.

She said IMSUBEB was only interested in capacity building both for the teachers and students.

Oduka said the use of cell phones by such students was a big distraction to efficient learning.

“We are all aware that education is going down every day and we must go back to the drawing board to know where we have failed to get it right”, she said.

She added that most parents had failed completely in their responsibility of giving etiquette to their children.

Oduka wondered where and how a primary or secondary school child could afford a cell phone and maintain it if not with the support of their parents.

She said that the cluster teachers training would go a long way in building capacity among the teachers when completed.

“In this year’s cluster training, we are going to train 1,500 teachers”, she said.

The SUBEB boss said government would sustain the training programme, but urged the beneficiaries to seize the opportunity to add more values to the profession.

Mrs Uche Ejiogu, the member representing Ihitte/Ubima Constituency at the Imo State House of Assembly, supported the call for the ban on the use of cell phones at the primary and secondary school levels.

She said she would ensure that such an advocacy gets legal backing from the state legislature.

Ejiogu commended the IMSUBEB chairman for organising the programme for the teachers, and urged the teachers to take the training serious.