THE EDITOR, Sir:

An April 12, Gleaner article entitled 'Banning cellphones - not the way to go!' led me to write this letter.

Indeed, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and having said this, I must publicly say I respect the views of writer, Abka Fitz-Henley, student council vice-president of Ardenne High School. However, there were many points brought out by Abka that I have to just simply disagree.

I believe it is high time a law is implemented to ban cellphones in schools. There have been many reports of students being targeted by thieves and gunmen. These unscrupulous creatures have been robbing the kids, the most important stakeholders in the education process, leaving them traumatised or dead. Students on numerous occasions have been robbed of their prized possessions including the most common cellular phones, money and other items. Cellphone theft has escalated recently and thieves have become desperately wicked.

Now Abka, you stated that banning cell phones is a 'backward step which will render more harm than good.' How can this be? It is quite evident our students' lives are at stake all for a cellphone. Is protecting students a backward step?

Having been in the education system for many years, as a student and now soon to be a teacher, I have seen where most students carry cellphones to school. The flip phones have been the 'in thing' for years and most recently slider phones, and students, high schoolers in particular, are known to have the hippest or latest phones. Now with everybody knowing, they automatically become bait.

Robber's prize

Obviously robbers are attracted to these 'hip' phones and are not willing to work their money to purchase them, if they can just simply pounce on a 'schooler' to get them. So why give thieves a reason to rob you? Is your cellphone really needed in school? Is your life more important or your cellphone? The excuse of many is that they need it in case of emergency or as a means of communicating with family. I know, I used to say that too. On the other hand, what about the administration office at your school, don't they have a phone? Will they not allow emergency calls? Or in the case of emergency, could you ask a teacher to give you a call?

I have seen where cellphones have promoted violence in schools. For example, a girl and a male student have an altercation. If this matter is not satisfactorily resolved she can call her friends from her community to come in and further help beat up this poor young man. Students are not the only ones whose lives are at stake, as students have called their cronies or family members on teachers while at school.

I also believe that phone companies in Jamaica could sponsor our schools with pay phones and provide cards at a subsidised cost. This will be a great alternative, as students will have no need to carry their cellular phones. Are our teenagers so addicted to cellphones that they cannot do the five hours (school period) without them? School is a place of learning, not an institution to display the latest gadgets. Our ancestors survived without cellphones in schools and so can we.

I am, etc.,

'EUQINAJ'

Student-Teacher