Secondary Education Minister Bans Cell phones in schools.

Students are prohibited from taking mobile phones to Schools.
The Minister of Secondary Education, Lois Bapes Bapes, has issued a communiqué, banning the use of cell phones by students. According to the communiqué which was released on October 14, he stated that students should not be seen with mobile phones in school especially during school periods, because he believes they promote fraud and other examination malpractices.
The price of cell phones have become so low that any body can purchase a cell phone and giving the method of credit transfer everybody’s phone can be credit worthy.
Talking to the coordinator of discipline masters in the Government Bilingual High School Deido, Bertrand Loteng, he said the communiqué is not complete because it does not state what sanction to be given to a student who is caught with a mobile phone. He added that students are very stubborn and it is certain you would still find some students bringing their phones to school. Loteng said nevertheless they have set internal rules, which is that any student found with a cell phone it will be seized and returned after one week, depending on the comportment of the student. If the student behaves poorly the phone will be given back after one month. Sometimes he said parents come and scold but it does not change anything because the student will have the phone at the appointed time.
On the other hand, a student Endale Ebongue Martine, who is in Upper sixth, said cell phones are good because they may want to inform their parents of any information and they could do so easily. She added that you could forget something at home especially for a patient who may forget the drugs he could easily call back home asking for them. “Generally it is good to have it around because you could be in difficulty and need to send information home”.
Ebongue also agreed with the minister’s decision because, she said students whose phones have options they disturb in call because they play music and besides they do not switch off their phones thereby causing distraction when it rings in class.
EFFA TAMBENKONGHO