THIS REFERS to the reported banning of mobile phones in schools
by the Department of Education purportedly to prevent gambling among
students.
A cellphone is used by students to communicate with friends and
family. It is a learning tool which has to be maximized by educators.
If it is exploited for gambling by students in exclusive private
schools, why deny the disciplined majority of our students the right
to use it for communication, learning and harmless entertainment?
The role of cellphones in enhancing human productivity is very
much recognized today. By banning them in schools, DepEd is restricting
teachers and school administrators to teach students the right way
of using this technology.
DepEd's solution to the gambling problem is simplistic, uncreative
and irresponsible. It is the exact opposite of its mandate to nurture
and guide young learners to be responsible individuals. It sends
the wrong message to students that schools are divorced from the
real world where use of cellphones is pervasive and most of the
time, a necessity.
Every innovative technology, like the television and the internet
can either widen or debilitate the learning potential of children.
Cellphones too can be used as a tool for learning or for anti-social
deeds, like gambling. DepEd never banned TV or the Internet in schools
in spite of studies showing their negative influence on the reading
skills of students. Why ban cellphones when its pedagogic role can
be maximized in schools?
If DepEd wants a solid proof about the effectivity of cellphones
as a tool for communication and learning, it only needs to remember
that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the Presidency in
2001 through a spontaneous gathering of people in Edsa facilitated
by texting.
