Julia Polley, a headmistress at Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College in North Yorkshire, was so frustrated at students’ fixation with their smart phones that she told parents she would be blocking 4G internet at the school. She invested in some technology which will block 4G signals on the school site. “I have improved the filters on the wi-fi to further restrict some sites,” Ms. Polley told parents. However, she has been stopped by red tape, after Ofcom warned her that it was a criminal offense. All her plans were scuppered when she was informed by North Yorkshire County Council’s IT support team and Ofcom that it was indeed a criminal offense.
Ofcom has considered it as a criminal offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act to use any apparatus for the purposes of interfering with radio communications in the UK. Interfering with radio communications may also result in the disruption of emergency and rescue radio services in the public area. An Ofcom spokesperson addressed that they sympathize with schools’ concerns about mobile phones in the classroom. Unfortunately signal blockers can harm other peoples’ mobile reception and interfere as well with the emergency services and air traffic control. Nevertheless, Ms. Polley aforesaid that all students need to be able to come into school feeling supported and safe and be able to concentrate on the next weeks of study and revision. After the deliberation, the school ended up following the precaution of closing down the guest wi-fi which has greater access to social media sites.
Vocabulary:
headmistress – a woman in charge of a school
fixation – an obsessive interest
4G – a mobile communications standard that allows wireless Internet access at a much higher speed
scupper – prevent from succeeding
telegraphy – a form of communication by electronic air waves
True or False:
- Julia Polley was so frustrated at students’ fixation with their smart phones that she would be blocking 4G internet at school.
- The OfCom has improved the filters on the wi-fi to further restrict some sites.
- According to North Yorkshire County Council’s IT support team and Ofcom blocking 4G internet at the school was a criminal offense.
- It’s a criminal offense under the Wired Telegraphy Act.
- Signal blockers can harm other peoples’ mobile reception and interfere with the emergency services and air traffic control.
Defend your argument:
- “The internet has been a boon and a curse to teenagers.” -J.K. Rowling
- “The internet has changed the way we learn about the world.”
- “There’s more ‘life’ happening online than offline. If you are not online, you are completely out of the loop – you don’t have a life, you don’t really exist.”
- “Kids today know ways more than you think, with the Internet.”
Express your opinion:
- What are the impacts of having internet?
- How do you utilize your internet connection?
- Do you think internet always provides the most reliable answer? Why or why not?