The advent of the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) in Nigeria in 2000 revolutionised every facet of societal life – affecting how people communicate, conduct businesses and even socialise.
The effect of GSM and advancement in mobile and Information Communication Technology (ICT) have also impacted on the education sector.
Today, schools have invested in ICT equipment to access the many benefits of the Internet. They have also introduced e-learning to enrich curriculum in their effort to groom pupils to compete on the global stage.
The average teacher is expected to be computer literate and know how to use the internet to enrich his teaching. Pupils are also given projects to complete which require them to have access to internet through computers or smart phones.
However, schools have also had to deal with the negative impact of mobile technology. As beneficial as it may be, mobile phones have been identified as a huge source of distraction for pupils at primary and secondary levels, and even for undergraduates.
As a result, many schools, especially primary and secondary, have put in place policies on the use of mobile phones while school is in session. The majority of schools visited do not allow mobile phones at all; while some allow limited use for specific situations.
Though they can be veritable tools for learning, many teachers and school owners said pupils use phones for the wrong things. Dr. Maggie Ibru, founder of ST&T Regency International School, GRA, Ikeja, said pupils are more likely to use the phones for the wrong things.
“Mobile phones are not allowed because it distracts them and they do all kinds of things with mobile phones these days. Technology has advanced. It is true they can take their notes on their phones but they are not sensitised well enough to use them to take notes; so, they receive calls, send text messages or even tweet during school hours. I think these are distractions. My students comply with the school rules because they know we are strict. At the initial stage, there were times we had issues with them using their phones so we seized them. The parents are happy about it; they know it is not important and no parent wants their child to be distracted,” she said.
At the primary school level, teachers complain that children caught with mobile phones usually use them for games.
Assistant Head Teacher, Papa Ajao Primary School, Ladipo, Mushin, Mrs. Roseline Oyewole, said teachers cannot afford the distraction mobile phones create.
“I do not buy the idea of pupils using phones, because they would not pay attention in class anymore. Even without phones now, primary school children are very prone to distraction, so phones would only make it worse. For secondary school children, it is even worse. They are at the prime of peer group influence and they can get carried away with these gadgets. I saw a boy of about secondary school age get crushed by a vehicle because he had plugged his ears with earphones and did not hear the horn of the vehicle as he was trying to cross the road. So, no, I cannot accept that secondary school children should be using phones.”
At secondary level, though older, the pupils are not necessarily wiser. They go beyond playing games on their mobile phones to being distracted by pornography, movies and excessive chatting.
Mr. Akorede Kehinde, a teacher at Great Anchor Schools, Agbede Ikorodu, said his school disallowed phones because pupils lose focus during lessons.
“Mobile phones are not allowed in this school due to various reasons which include the abuse of the privilege. Some of them get distracted in class; some will be using their phones under their desks while teaching is going on, chatting on social media or watching movies,” he said.
But, despite not being allowed, a teacher in a public school in Ojo area of Lagos (names withheld) said pupils still bring them.
“If you go to the principal, he would tell you that in each term, we seize an average of 18 to 20 phones. Unfortunately, most of these phones are the sophisticated ones and the contents are sometimes very obscene.
“I once caught a boy and a girl seated at the rear during one of my lessons watching pornography on the boy’s handset. I reported them to the principal who seized the phones and asked them to bring their parents. The female one brought her father but the male boy disappeared from school for weeks and later reappeared few days to third term exam. Of course, he was prevented from writing the examination,” he said.
Bridging the communication gap
Mobile phones make it easier for parents to easily communicate with their wards. But teachers say it is not enough reason to allow them in schools. Many schools prefer parents to call the teachers instead, who would in turn reach the pupil.
Mrs. Temitope Osibosi, proprietor of Santoi Nursery and Primary School, Lagos, said the school coordinates this communication process.
“We do not have problems with the parents because we have their contacts so, if there are any emergencies we call their parents. The school is the middleman between both parties,” she said.
Many schools that run boarding houses have mobile phone policies in place. Dr. Ibru said for day pupils, phones are kept with teachers; but for boarders, they are not allowed at all.
“When they bring their mobile phones to school, they are advised to drop it with their teachers for safe keeping and they get them back after school. Of course, we understand their mothers are worried and for safety reasons they will want to be in touch. So, it is important, sometimes, that they are allowed to communicate with them. But after school, boarders are not allowed phones because we have phones in their hostels and those they can use during school if need be,” she said.
Home use
Though schools are unanimous on disallowing mobile phones in schools, many teachers agree that pupils can use them at home.
“They can use the phones at home, but they cannot bring it to school. They can improve on their skills in terms of research and technology with the phones when they are at home,” said Acting Principal, African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye, Mr Abimbola Olawoye.
However, even at home, phone use, especially by teenagers, can be excessive. Using the phone at home should not be without supervision, says Mr. Yomi Otubela, proprietor of Lagooz Private School and Lagooz College, in Orile-Agege area of Lagos. Otubela said phones are necessary in this age. Nevertheless, he warned that parents must know what their wards do on the phone (and internet) to protect them from online predators.
“Well we all realise that with the applications available on mobile phones it has become important that we monitor how they are being used when they (children) are at home. In mobile phones there are applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook, 2go and others. Most discussions there lead them towards social life and not really academics. It is an open entry for them to login in logout at anytime which affect children that are not matured enough to face issues of life. They are exposed to pornography, meet with strangers that pretend to be teenagers in other to gain their attentions into homosexuality, sexuality, drinking, smoking.
“We advise parents to guide against such dangers whenever they are at home. And we encourage them to get software which could be used at home to limit where they can go on the internet. Internet cannot be taken away from the children but we can only guide them,” he said.
Mr Sunday Eboigbe, a parent, has been unable to control his son’s phone and internet usage. Though barely educated, the panel beater who resides in Volkswagen area of Ojo Lagos, is worried that one of his son’s addiction to phone is not healthy.
Eboigbe said Samson (not real name) does not study but is glued to his phone most times – even at midnight.
“I know I did not go to school like you. But I believe you can use your knowledge in education to help me out. I have flogged this boy and abused him on countless occasions to no avail. I and the mother are always watching out for him. Once we discover he has a new phone, we seize it and destroy it in his presence. But within two weeks, he will get another one,” he lamented.
However, Mr Bolanle Omotoso, an ICT expert, does not allow his three children to own phones. He also has a firm hold on what they do on the internet at home.
He said: “To protect yourself, you need to be conscious of the fact that there is a threat attached to the internet and that is why you take conscious effort to protect your family. For instance, my daughter is going to be 16 and she does not have a phone. The internet is like a country of its own; once you go there you can get corrupted, especially at their tender age.
“To protect them, ensure the environments they go to are well protected and controlled, especially the type of school they will go to. You can also protect them by using some tools that are used to monitor and control what they do – just like the type used in offices. We have intrusion detection. This is to see that when your system has virus it can easily be detected and you will be alerted even though there won’t be 100% security, you’ll still be alerted if there is any breach in security. I also monitor what my children on the internet because it is not always on for them so they do not misuse it and I do not expose them to devices that can corrupt them.”
The need for parents to be sure of what their children do on their phones is an international concern. In the UK, over 50 per cent of children own smart phones in some places. Groups like Internet Matters, an NGO focused on providing safe internet for children, is urging parents to hold their wards more accountable about phone usage.
Caroyln Bunting, General Manager, Internet Matters, urged parents to start early to inculcate a culture of healthy phone and internet phone usage in their wards.
“We would urge parents to ensure they have the conversation with their children about how to be responsible on their phones and ensure that the safety settings are in place across all their devices and search engines,” she said.
