POLICE have arrested 12 pupils at Monze Boys Secondary School in Southern Province for participating in a riot sparked by the confiscation of 100 cell phones sneaked into the institution against school regulations.
And the Ministry of General Education has warned pupils country-wide not to sneak mobile phones into schools, especially those who are in boarding.
Spokesperson Hillary Chipango said in an interview yesterday the ministry last week confiscated 100 cell phones at the school which had been illegally sneaked in by the learners.
Mr Chipango said 12 pupils were arrested after they destroyed school property in protest but eight were released.
He said four are still in police custody.
Mr Chipango said the ministry has in the recent past been receiving reports of pupils sneaking their cell phones into schools, a practice which is banned.
He appealed to parents to ensure children left their cell phones at home to enable them to concentrate on their studies.
Mr Chipango said the pupils were using sophisticated and dangerous ways to re-charge their phones thereby posing a danger to school property and people’s lives.
“All the phones are in the custody of school authorities as Government policy does not allow the use of cell phones in schools,” he said.
“Cell phones usually disturb the learning process for the pupils as most of them just go on social media,” Mr Chipango said.
He said it is Government’s mandate to ensure children grow into responsible citizens without any hindrance.
“Most of these children who sneak in phones do not perform well in their studies, which is a source of concern for us,” he said.
Mr Chipango warned of stern action against any pupil found in possession of a mobile phone in school.
This is 21st century, technology is a facet of globalisation in education.
Try different ways of sorting out issues with school codes than confiscating pupils property. Those phones can help pupils to call the police or parents, even teachers in case scenario of displeasure happens.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
This man is a real skeleton, if you have nothing to say just shut-up period
Banning has never solved anything, these kids will find a way around any such thinking. Regulation should be dynamic & these nearndertals at the ministry should regulate the use of phones on school campuses.
Mr.Skeleton: You are really a skeleton and you will die a skeleton. 21st Century when pupils are often on phonography and failing to read thinking phones will look after them. Why break property. Is it the property which confiscated their phones. Police teach them a lesson. Let their parents pay for the damages and don’t charge those who are innocent.
I am from UK myself and even in the developed world, we don’t allow pupils to smuggle phones in schools. It disrupts the learning process. This has to be discouraged if pupils are to focus on learning
Right @ Walace Patricks! Take for instance Japan where such technology is at every homes’ door step, pupils are still dissuaded from bringing such to school!
You can’t allow everything just because this is 21st century. Generally, in Zambia, for most young people (even adults in working industry) internet means social media. No research, no reading of news, nothing!
They are lucky they were not shot by the trigger happy pf police. You can’t risk your life by demonstrating under this dictatorship.
So sad! My former school surely….
During our boarding school days even keeping money by pupils was not allowed. All money was handed over to school authority.
@ndanje that was really backward
They search and watch Iris Kaingu all night and stagger to class. Smart phones and school iyai
Its sad the the root cause of the riot has not been mentioned in the above news item.Its not the first time to confisicate phones from pupils at this school, the exercise has bin conducted several times, and it had never resulted in any form of violence.What caused this riot is the burning of the phones after confiscating them from the pupils, which is a criminal offence.In conclusion, both the school authority and pupils were at fault.
@ Lusaka times:
So its not the first time that phones have been confiscated! Then there is a standing school rule existing barring pupils from carrying phones on the premises which pupils have flouted severally! Then action by school authorities is justified if its the language these pupils will finally understand better rid of the phone and keep them in school than expel them! Letting them keep their phones and expelling them would also have been an option for breaking school rules! Modern age indeed but each society lives by distinct norms, lets see how many of you supporting ‘being modern’ stupidity of everything walk into your parents’ bedrooms at will?