By: Natasha Archary
Videos taken by learners in schools, exposing risky student behaviour, playing pranks on teachers, or filming acts of violence against their peers, have sparked a discussion on Kaya Drive over kids and cellphones at schools.
Both Thomas and Skhumba who are raising teenagers, are strongly against their kids taking cellphones to school, saying there’s not need for them to have access to their devices whilst at school.
“Why do they need their phones at school? If there’s an emergency, the school has our details and they will contact either their mom or me.
My kids also know our numbers by heart, so in the event that something happens, they can always find a way of reaching us.
But, if they’re at school, they are there to learn and nothing more. So, there’s no need for them to be allowed to take cellphones to school.”
Thomas says his kids are not allowed to take their cellphones to school
In a previous discussion, Thomas and Skhumba shared that the amount of time kids of today are spending on their cellphone is not healthy.
The Kaya 959 presenters also expressed concern over the content that children are consuming online, and feel there is a total disconnect between the youth of today and values being taught at home.
While some listeners agreed that kids shouldn’t be allowed to take cellphones to school, a few felt it was a safety measure, and said they had peace of mind knowing they could track their child’s cellphone in an emergency.
The general consensus amongst listeners is that there’s no need for their kids to have cellphones at school. Many feel that they cannot control what their kids have access to on cellphones and this is another cause for concern.
Where’s the fine line between respecting their privacy and monitoring their cellphone usage?
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Drive:
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