The Editor, Sir:

The outburst of violence in schools recently has apparently ruffled the feathers of principals and education stakeholders in general. Oftentimes robbers target school children, et al, for their possessions.

Some schools, including mine, have responded by encouraging the banning of cellphones, in order to prevent students being a 'target of robbers'. Now this I believe is a backward step, which will render more harm than good to students (perhaps the most important stakeholder in the education process).

Sure enough, one can readily support implementation of more rigid search procedures and security measures within our educational institutions, but the banning of cellphones is definitely a backward step.

It does not take much brainpower to realise that cellphones are not the only target of robbers, and reducing such occurrences of robbery suffered by students would be better achieved by putting in place practical security arrangements at strategic points. Removing one of the points of attraction (the cellphones) is a meek reaction to a far greater problem.

Interestingly enough, a boomerang effect may be triggered, where students are often left defenceless and disabled in terms of communication, in the face of danger. Additionally, the message that this sends out to cronies who target our society youth, et al, is at very least highly disturbing.

I call on principals, parent-teacher organisations and other education stakeholders to desist from acts of cowardice such as removing a primary means of communication (the cellphone) from our youths' possesion. It is a backward step, and one which promises to render more harm than good to the clientele of our education system, the students themselves.

I am, etc.,

ABKA FITZ-HENLEY

abfitzel77@yahoo.com

Student Council Vice-President

Ardenne High School

St. Andrew

Via Go-Jamaica