In most high schools in Somaliland, the majority of the students own a cell phone. Whatever the rules are at their school about cell phones, students use them.
Having a cell phone at school comes with many advantages, but there are also negative things that come of it.
Students can turn their phone off, or turn it on vibrate or silence, during their classes so that it does not ring and causes a disruption while they are learning. They are able to silence their phones, but most students will forget to this at least once during their high school career. When they do forget and they receive a call or text message, the whole class stops. Even if students put their phone in vibrate mode, some cell phones can still be heard. Everyone turns to look at what is causing the sudden noise and the teacher stops talking. This distracts students from their lesson and makes them have to re-focus all over again.
Using cell phones during class is very common in Somaliland schools. It doesn’t matter to students that they are not allowed to use their cell phones while they are in class, they do it anyway. They often send text messages to each other and this can also distract them from their education, as well as distract the person they are texting, which is likely to be another student. Many people call this the new way of passing notes.
Students who have their cell phone in class can use it to cheat. They can text another person and ask them the questions on the test, or the assignment they are given. This causes a problem because it can be very simple to do. Teachers pay attention to their students, but they cannot watch all of them at the same time. During a test it is easier to catch a student who is text messages, but during regular class it can be easy to miss. Cell phones enable students to cheat fairly easily.
On the other hand, when students use their cell phones at school, it makes rumors spread faster. Somaliland which is small electronic country most student have access to a cell phone and when somebody hears a rumor, they send a text message to their friend to tell them about it, and their friend sends a text message to another friend, and so on. Some also think that the fast spreading of rumors makes it more likely that the rumors will worsen as it is being spread, and that the quicker it spreads, the worse it gets. When a rumor does start, the use of cell phone increases as each person receives the news, and the overuse of cell phones can cause disturbance.
The main problem that teachers have with students being able to use their cell phones during school hours is that students can use them to cheat during the exam . If it were not for that, most people would not have an issue, but since students are able to do this, it has become a problem. The problem is that high schools allow students to have cell phones, whether or not they are allowed to use them during school hours, and most students will use them whether or not they are allowed to.
Generally, I don’t think that children should bring hand phone to school. It exposes them to too many risks.
The initial intention (for giving the hand phone) is to provide facilities for us to know where our kids are but we must think twice before doing so. I advice parents to know how to adopt the technology before giving a mobile phone to their child.
Mohamoud Dahir Omar
Tell: 0634423327
Hargeisa, Somaliland
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