Ban cell phones

Last Friday while waiting in a taxi to take me to work four secondary school students entered the vehicle. (Now, I will not mention what school they were from since principals of schools become aggravated when people try to make them aware of how badly students behave while still wearing the school uniform. In case principals have not noticed, it is a big disgrace to the school.)

So these students came into the car, forgetting their manners of course, cursing, calling each other names, with both girls and boys making derogatory remarks about other female students (and teachers). What I found to be quite amazing was that every one of them had a cell phone. When I was at that age and in secondary school, it never crossed my mind to have a cell phone nor to plead with my parents to get me one.

Not even five minutes went by when these children began receiving phone calls and text messages. When one got a call, he would speak to the person on the other end for a few minutes and then pass the phone to a colleague. The conversations were so vulgar that I cannot mention their content. As a matter, even as an adult I would be ashamed to say such things. Where do these children learn these things? It is disgusting and disgraceful not only to the school but to parents and even strangers like myself. To go further, it is disappointing to know that those who see these things are the ones with the least power to do anything about it.

Now don’t get me wrong. I understand that the times are changing and the crime rate in this country is ridiculous, thanks to the Government’s lack of action. So, I can see why a secondary school student would have need of a cell phone for use in times of emergencies. What worries me, though, is the way the cell phones are abused. From what I saw and heard they obviously do not put them to good use. I believe they would use them in the right way if they had been brought up in the right way. Children using cell phones to make arrangements for after school activities like liming, smoking some weed (Yes, some {please note the word some}secondary school students actually "do drugs" . . .it’s a bitter fact!) at the back of John’s house while his parents are at work, and assisting coke dealers to boost their sales, definitely tells a lot about the way in which they were raised. Therefore, parents are to be blamed here, because they have strayed from the "long time way" of communicating with their children and are now dependent on TSTT’s questionable service to do the job. I know that in their teen years children are trying to find themselves while fighting raging hormones, but that does not give them an excuse to conduct themselves in such a horrible manner. If I were one of their parents and saw them behaving in that manner I would be ashamed to say "that is my child."

As a parent, the first thing I would ask myself is: "How much attention can my child give to his teacher and schoolwork if he went to school with a cell phone with features that include text messaging, games and cameras?"

The second thing . . . is it absolutely necessary? I attended a school in San Fernando and I live in Tabaquite. Transport from Tabaquite to San Fernando and vice versa is quite difficult and I survived all my secondary school life without a cell phone. If I had an emergency I would get permission from a teacher to use the pay phone that was located just outside the staff room. If I was outside the school after school hours of course, having waited a few hours for a taxi and was not successful in getting one I would simply take a trot to the pay phone, and risk picking up some kind of infection, to call home. I survived without a cell phone. Need I mention here that I never "break school?"

I remember an occasion at school when a student came to class with a cell phone. Next thing was her parents found her at Gulf City during school hours. Do you need me to explain what she used the cell phone to do?

I say ban cell phones in school, even if it means searching school bags (who knows what else you may find). Besides, it is believed that cell phones can cause cancer. So when you think of giving your child a cell phone to take to school, think of all the disadvantages, like the possibility of developing cancer, not paying attention and, more importantly, their "after school activities" or should I say "out of school activities?"