Ban mobile phones and wireless networks in schools, say European leaders

Source: Telegraph

A Council of Europe committee examined evidence that the technologies have "potentially harmful" effects on humans, and concluded that immediate action was required to protect children.

In a report, the committee said it was crucial to avoid repeating the mistakes made when public health officials were slow to recognise the dangers of asbestos, tobacco smoking and lead in petrol.

The report also highlighted the potential health risks of cordless telephones and baby monitors, which rely on similar technology and are widely used in British homes.

Fears have been raised that electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless devices can cause cancers and affect the developing brain.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/8514380/Ban-mobile-phones-and-wireless-networks-in-schools-say-European-leaders.html

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This is a political committee, composed of 84 MPs and politicians from 47 member states.

in a Faraday cage

Maybe if schools were sealed in lead painted classrooms...

Oh, wait.

Cell phone and wireless is essentially cut off. Of course that gets you away from your desk for a few minutes during the call to inhale some fresh air...

... it is highly desireable that "developing brains" be allowed to focus on school life.

It is easy to jam cell phones and wireless networks in a building but it might require legislation to allow it.

http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/mobile-phone-signal-jammer-high-powered-cellphone-jamming/

edited to add link.

jamming devices would come under the same umbrella ?

The harm from cell phones is caused by having the phone against one's head. The strength of the harmful radio frequency signal from the phone decreases exonentially with the distance of the phone from the head. The strength of the jamming signals are no stronger than those emitted by other electronic devices in our environment.

Actually, there is some controversy concerning the assumption that the phones themselves are harmful. I for one feel that there is good reason to suspect that they do cause some harm and perhaps we should take precautions to protect ourselves until we know for sure.

am totally unable to understand why mobile phones were allowed in schools in the first place.

My kids aren't allowed to use the phones except during lunch and before/after school. We coordinate plans with text messages and it has helped us a lot. Less "I said, you said", more clarity, less stress.

You'd rather your kids not pay attention in school because *you* want to discuss plans? Sure, let's distract kids from training for their future because you need to coordinate who is going to the movies, etc.

"My kids aren't allowed to use the phones except during lunch and before/after school."

Tell me -- what exactly are you texting on? a *phone*, right? Try a little consistency with rules by following them yourself.

unbelievable. :eyes:

and kids are always breaking the rules, and getting texts from their parents. I take their phones for the day. In a emergency, the parent can call the office. They need to pay attention and learn, not be answering texts from parents about after-school plans.

Sigh.

so it's about more than having a phone against your head. The jamming signals would come under the same precautionary principle they're invoking.

how did you manage at school without a mobile and access to Wi-Fi ? I know I managed just fine and without a calculator too....lol.

and most teenagers (and younger) in developed countries regard mobile phones as an essential part of their life. They'll kick up a storm if you tell them "we don't know, but perhaps mobile phones are bad for you children, so you can't use them anywhere in schools".

If you were to search for them from any public building in a built up area you would almost certainly pick up many active systems so turning it off within the school alone would hardly minimise the supposed 'risk' from them.

If you had a home wireless network, and share a wall in a semi or terraced house with another, that has children in it (or even detached houses that are sufficiently close), would you have to switch it off?

There is no good reason or evidence to suspect that cell phones use causes brain cancer.

And even if cell phone radiation were capable of causing the type of cell/DNA damage that leads to cancer (and it isn't...not remotely), why is nobody reporting skin cancer from having the phones jammed against their head? The skin is closer to the phone than the brain, right?

Don't do anything because you can't do everything. Well, nobody can. And if you want to concentrate on getting rid of nuclear power, YOU GO DO IT. But try not to disrespect the sincere efforts of others to do other useful and important things.

They effect the body too.

It's a committee of the Council of Europe. The members from the UK are very minor MPs, apart from Prescott, who has retired as an MP. Maybe those in other parts of Europe can comment on the 'leadership' status of others.

The report from the Council of Europe may influence the EU parliament a bit; but I think the claim that it is "highly influential in policy-making" is pushing it.

Money talks.

they were just ahead of their time...

don't you?

Because they can organize protests through these devices.

Stop the cell phones, stop the twitters, stop the face book groups and you have less organizing by students and less information sharing.

Expect the Koch brothers to support this soon.

Yeah, those third graders building up flashmobs against the Koch Brothers are the cause of this. Nothing at all to do with potential health problems cited in the piece...

Too sad to even laugh at the silliness....

what they should be spending their school time on? Sheesh, most of them can't even compose a coherent paragraph and you want them to focus on stumping for social justice?

In any case, what stops them from organizing protests in off-school hours? Nothing.

moment of the kids' life.

I'd say ban mobile phone use, but for the simple reason that children/teens can't stop themselves from abusing them.

If technology is harmful, then the children spend far more time at home...ban all wireless technologies in homes with children if they are so concerned.

Here's the thing. Either the technology is that harmful or it is statistically benign. If it's that harmful, then start banning the devices. Targeting only schools where the kids spend a small fraction of their time is stupid.

The article provided at least some rational data to counteract the panic & fear of "the new thing we didn't grow up with so it must be dangerous"...

"The conclusions contradict advice from the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health, which says exposure to electromagnetic fields poses little or no risk to human health."

"A report by Britain's Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme in 2007 said that there was no association between mobile phones and adverse health effects"

“There is very little evidence at the moment for harmful effects. The powers that mobile phones emit are getting less and less, and they are well below the limits set by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection"


It wont stop those who believe without any data though.

This is just more FUD and grandstanding by people who haven't a clue but are looking to score political points.

If they really thought cell phones / wireless networks were actually harmful, do you think they'd limit the ban to schools?

It makes about as much sense as banning drinking water from schools because it's "potentially harmful" until they test it for pathogens. And ... and ... even pure water can kill you!

"Fears have been raised" ... yes indeed, politics by fear. Same old story. Where have we heard this before?

I could almost understand the "We're trying to stop cheating/classroom distraction/sexual harassment" angles, but the 'health' angle just sounds weird...

It corrupts them. :sarcasm: Therefore you have to make up some ridiculous proxy.
Never mind that they are watching so much sex on TV and the internet that the poor little dears are hopelessly irredeemable in the first place.