BARBADOS – A call has been made for principals at private and public primary and secondary schools in Barbados to enforce the rules and regulations concerning the use of cellular phones, pagers and other communication devices within their institutions.
This request from Chief Education Officer, Wendy Griffith-Watson, comes against the backdrop of increasing calls for a ban on such gadgets in schools.
The education head reminded administrators in a circular re-issued on January 30, 2007, that “students are not permitted to bring cell phones, pagers or any other communication devices to school”.
Mrs. Griffith-Watson also urged principals to include the ban on communication devices in their school’s general regulations and to take appropriate disciplinary action against any student who breached the rule.
“Students who defy this rule will have these devices confiscated and their parents summoned to collect them,” she advised.
Teachers too were cautioned not to use their cell phones in the classroom or during the delivery of lessons. The Chief Education Officer, however, recommended that schools have clear guidelines for enabling parents to contact their children during school hours.
