School Welcomes Distractions and Problems of Cell Phones - Principal Thinks it's "neat"

At Freyberg High School in New Zealand, Principle Michael McMenamin thinks text messaging and cell phones are a "neat way of communicating".

In the article School Harnesses Power of Texting, Mr. McMenamin said "the advantages of cellphones far outweigh the disadvantages."

However, he doesn't provide us with his list of pros and cons. I would have liked to have seen them.

Freyberg High School is embracing text messaging.

Principal Michael McMenamin wants to send students text messages to tell them how pleased he is at something they have done or maybe to tell them to pick up litter.

"It would be a really neat way of communicating. I want to use it in a positive way," he said. ... Mr McMenamin said the advantages of cellphones far outweigh the disadvantages.

But the article does go on to talk about plenty of of disadvantages as told by other school leaders and experts:

Text messages are believed to be at the centre of a fight between students at Palmerston North Boys' High School and Awatapu College earlier this month. Between 50 and 100 texts were sent between the two groups of boys. Text messages were allegedly used to make rape and death threats and organise fights.

...cellphones are misused by teenagers and too many use them as a glorified toy. He said students use text messages to say things they wouldn't say face to face...

A survey of 1500 secondary school students, carried out by the Internet Safety Group, found 73 percent had a mobile phone and 23 percent had received an offensive, pornographic, abusive, or threatening text or picture.

Some 46 percent of those students admitted also sending abusive messages. ... Some young people lead another life through text messages, but parents either choose to ignore it or are naive about the technology, Mr O'Connor said. ... Mr O'Connor said it is difficult for schools to manage cellphone use, because adolescents will always try to be one step ahead.

Palmerston North Girls' High School deputy principal Marie Gordon said an average of 35 cellphones are confiscated from girls each week. ... "They're addicted to it. When the phones are confiscated, you'd swear that life was going to come to an end. It's their form of communication," Mrs Gordon said.

Did you hear any advantages mentioned? Neither did I. So I'm puzzled as to why Principal McMenamin is so enamored with the technology. Why can't praise be given face to face? Does he really think kids want to be nagged on their cell phones about picking up litter?

Finally:

Parents are reluctant for Girls' High to ban the phones during the day because they want to keep in touch with their daughters.

Parents need to get a grip! I went into more detail of why parents who want to be in touch with their kids via cell phone around the clock are a bit misguided, in a previous entry, so I won't get into it here.

So would you send your kids to Freyberg High?