Oswestry school drops mobile phones after cyber bullying rise
Monday 25th July 2011, 2:54PM BST.
A pilot project allowing pupils at Oswestry’s secondary school to use mobile phones has been abandoned after an increase in cyber bullying.
The Marches School and Technology College launched its new project in the second half of the summer term, allowing youngsters to use gadgets including phones to iPads, iPods and electronic book readers.
While much of the trial – put forward by a group of students – proved a success, the use of mobile phones caused problems.
Headteacher Sarah Longville said the school had embraced new technology and worked with student ambassadors to use it in a safe way.
“While highly successful in some ways, student use and expertise with laptops, note pads and cloud computing developed at an impressive rate, almost inevitably the use of personal mobile phones brought with it an increase in some aspects of cyber bullying,” she said.
“It was a very small minority of students who used phones inappropriately that let everyone else down. I won’t have bullying of any kind here.”
She said the result was a simple no phones at the Marches rule being imposed.
Students can take their phones into school, but must turn them off.
They may still use other forms of new technology in lessons when specified and during their own time.
Mrs Longville said: “Parents, guardians and the community can be reassured that The Marches wireless network will continue to protect students from inappropriate internet use as it has always done.
“It seems that 21st century technology, exciting as it undoubtedly is, needs a firm hand, old fashioned but with clear moral guidelines.”
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