CTUSAB says no to cellphones in schools

Ill-conceived.

That’s how the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) describes the decision to institute mobile phones in schools at this time.

The umbrella body threw its support behind its member units, the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) and the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), denouncing this plan “given the prevailing climate within schools, where the maintenance of discipline and control are growing challenges for teachers.”

In a statement issued by CTUSAB General Secretary Dennis DePeiza yesterday, said while the CTUSAB accepts that there is a place for the use of technologies in Barbadian schools, it maintains that this pertains to instructional purposes only.

“CTUSAB posits that the introduction of a policy for the use of mobile phones and other mobile technologies will have the net effect of empowering students, while at the same time further reducing the authority of teachers to exercise control within and outside the classroom.”

“The Congress contends that the pros and cons related to the introduction of a policy for the use of mobile phones and other mobile technologies in Barbadian schools, must be carefully weighed before embarking on a process of implementation.”

As it relates to the ready access by students to mobile phones and other mobile technologies in schools, DePeiza says CTUSAB contends that there has been a longstanding policy in schools, where students through the Principal’s Office, are permitted to make telephone contact with parents and guardians, and likewise, school officials with parents and guardians as the need warrants.“Based on this, CTUSAB strongly advocates that the status quo remains, as the introduction of a flexible policy that allows the use of mobile phones and other mobile technologies in schools,will certainly complicate matters,” he said.