School Wireless Networks Banned By Eu

[Cronky]

Sunday Telegraph:

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

 

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.

 

. . . The committee concluded that member states should:

 

• Ban all mobile phones and wireless networks in classrooms and schools;

 

Back to chalk and blackboard then? And would we be any worse off?

[John Wright]

Oh God! Another misrepresentation about the EU.

 

Nothing to do with the EU. It is a committee of the Council of Europe, nothing to do with the EU, no decsion making or implementing functions or abilities at all.

 

Whether the science is right or wrong, and EU and WHO committees have concluded exactly the opposite, can someone please explain why any child needs to take a mobile to school and then keep it in their possession through class. If they need for contacting parents at home time,or vice versa, they should check them in at registration. It must be very disruptive to education if phones ring or meassge alerts sound in class and the tempation to text or read will be very hard for many to resist.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

I do know of a few parents who ring their kids at school once or a few times a day to check if they are ok or to find out what they're up to at school. It's weird.

[manshimajin]

Cronky I think the title is a bit misleading as this is only a recommendation. I agree with John. There is absolutely no need for a child to have a mobile phone in a classroom. I assume that if wireless networks were banned it would give much more control to the school over the use of its computing facilities too which is probably no harm at all.

 

I recognise that I have reached the 'grumpy old man' stage in life but I find it concerning that people (inlcuding many of my generation) show zero courtesy when using mobile phones and that there seems to be an addiction amongst some youngsters to computer games to the extent of them losing (or never establishing) their basic social skills. Grumble over.

[Slim]

Cronkyfail.

Sunday Telegraph:

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

 

So not banned by the EU at all?

 

 

 

Back to chalk and blackboard then? Amd would we be any worse off?

 

 

Yes.

[Barrie Stevens]

Sunday Telegraph:

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

 

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.

 

. . . The committee concluded that member states should:

 

• Ban all mobile phones and wireless networks in classrooms and schools;

 

Back to chalk and blackboard then? Amd would we be any worse off?

 

JW beat me to it!

 

The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 47 members based in Strasbourg (Far more than the 27 EU members)and not only produced the European Convention on Human Rights and runs the European Court of Humnan Rights but a whole host of scores of other Conventions and Charters relating to your health, right to medical treatment (with a bearing on the Reciprocal Health Agreement if you argue it the right way)your education, freedom of expression, working conditions, fair wages... oh so many!.

 

This one about WiFi etc appears to be in much the same vein ie health, education, working conditions.

 

The Council of Europe is a largely British instigated organisation conceived towards the end of World War Two as means of nations voluntarily accepting codes of conduct or Conventions designed to lay the foundation for human decency via government compliance (largely voluntary save in the case of the death penalty which, if you do not accept abolition, you cannot be in the EU!) so that hopefully we never again see the likes of gas chambers, concentration camps and Gestapo.

 

That was the idea.

 

They are Conventions and Charters because they are not EU directives (unless the EU adopts some of ideas in an oblique way)

 

Members of the Council of Europe do import their chosen Conventions and Charters from the Council of Europe in their own way by accepting some principles of the various Charters and Conventions but rejecting or temporising on others.

 

Frankly, it is all a bit weak and in the case of the UK often it is the case that "Britannia waives the rules!"

 

In the case of not accepting fully the Conventions or Charters member states notify the Council of Europe and you can see the signatories of the many Conventions and Charters on the Council of Europe website together with the exceptions they have registered.

 

The UK has extended various Charters and Conventions to the Isle of Man and the website reveals the progress the Island has/or has not made and the various exceptions applied.

 

The EU is run by the European Council not the Council of Europe.

 

Even papers such as the Daily Telegraph like to stir it by calling the Council of Europe "the EU"!!!

[Barrie Stevens]

Sunday Telegraph:

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

 

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.

 

. . . The committee concluded that member states should:

 

• Ban all mobile phones and wireless networks in classrooms and schools;

 

Back to chalk and blackboard then? Amd would we be any worse off?

 

JW beat me to it!

 

The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 47 members based in Strasbourg (Far more than the 27 EU members)and not only produced the European Convention on Human Rights and runs the European Court of Humnan Rights but a whole host of scores of other Conventions and Charters relating to your health, right to medical treatment (with a bearing on the Reciprocal Health Agreement if you argue it the right way)your education, freedom of expression, working conditions, fair wages... oh so many!.

 

This one about WiFi etc appears to be in much the same vein ie health, education, working conditions.

 

The Council of Europe is a largely British instigated organisation conceived towards the end of World War Two as means of nations voluntarily accepting codes of conduct or Conventions designed to lay the foundation for human decency via government compliance (largely voluntary save in the case of the death penalty which, if you do not accept abolition, you cannot be in the EU!) so that hopefully we never again see the likes of gas chambers, concentration camps and Gestapo.

 

That was the idea.

 

They are Conventions and Charters because they are not EU directives (unless the EU adopts some of ideas in an oblique way)

 

Members of the Council of Europe do import their chosen Conventions and Charters from the Council of Europe in their own way by accepting some principles of the various Charters and Conventions but rejecting or temporising on others.

 

Frankly, it is all a bit weak and in the case of the UK often it is the case that "Britannia waives the rules!"

 

In the case of not accepting fully the Conventions or Charters member states notify the Council of Europe and you can see the signatories of the many Conventions and Charters on the Council of Europe website together with the exceptions they have registered.

 

The UK has extended various Charters and Conventions to the Isle of Man and the website reveals the progress the Island has/or has not made and the various exceptions applied.

 

The EU is run by the European Council not the Council of Europe.

 

Even papers such as the Daily Telegraph like to stir it by calling the Council of Europe "the EU"!!!

 

ERROR I meant to say that members of the European Council import their chosen Conventions and Charters from the Council of Europe...."Calm down dear!"....

[Cronky]

Hands Up! I mistakenly called the Council of Europe committee the EU. Hope they forgive me.

 

Serious point though, the article says:

 

The Council of Europe, which has 47 member states and is based in Strasbourg, cannot impose its will on governments, but is highly influential in policy-making and has often seen its decisions enacted through conventions and treaties.

 

The precautionary principle prevails with children's health issues these days. However, IT seems to be something our Department of Education just can't live without. I totally agree that mobile phones should be banned from schools. As regards Wi Fi I really don't see that, if there is a suspicion of a health risk what the justification for the technology is.

 

As I think I've said before, my view is that there is far too much emphasis on IT in the school curriculum these days. Back in the days 'when I were a lad' we had regular power blackouts because of the miners strikes. It didn't change the school day one jot. But then, old fashioned teacher could get their lessons across without electricity - never mind the internet . . .

[Slim]

Hands Up! I mistakenly called the Council of Europe committee the EU. Hope they forgive me.

 

You also said school wireless networks were 'banned' Wronky, also incorrect.

 

 

As I think I've said before, my view is that there is far too much emphasis on IT in the school curriculum these days. Back in the days 'when I were a lad' we had regular power blackouts because of the miners strikes. It didn't change the school day one jot. But then, old fashioned teacher could get their lessons across without electricity - never mind the internet . . .

 

Yes, and we can see how effective your education was...

[Cronky]

Very droll

[SJR]

Hang on what will the teachers do outside their 20 hours a week work ?? No laptops in the staffroom - cue more industrial unrest and cue the Ballaughbiker !!

[Slim]

Very droll

 

I'm not joking.

 

What do you actually want to happen here Wonky? Ban wifi? Why? Because it might be harmful? Why is it harmful? Because it produces radiation? Do you ban everything that produces radiation? Ban light bulbs and tv's and electronic keyboards? How about luminous safety signs, ban them too? How about banning the microwave ovens in the school kitchen that use the same spectrum as wifi, but several thousand times more powerful? Or the overhead cables near the school, ban them too? And while your at it, are you going to ban every device that emits the same spectrum, the Nintendo DS and PSP games? The Kindle and Ipad? Laptops got to go too?

 

So basically schools become radiation free brick huts, oh apart from the ever persistent terrestrial and cosmic background radiation, which accounts for most of the radation you're exposed to during the day? The effect of cosmic radiation is much higher when you're flying, so we should ban kids from planes, right? Certain geographical areas have naturally higher radiation levels too, should we fence those off and ban kids from them?

[Cronky]

If it is conclusively proved that wireless networks in schools are harmful to children then I think it entirely appropriate that steps should be taken to mitigate the problem.

 

I await the scientific evidence with interest.

[Slim]

If it is conclusively proved that wireless networks in schools are harmful to children then I think it entirely appropriate that steps should be taken to mitigate the problem.

 

I await the scientific evidence with interest.

 

 

It's been conclusively proved that radiation from the sun harms children, shall we ban sunlight in classrooms too?

 

 

You said the precautionary principle applies, or are you changing your mind as the thread goes on? Why the sudden interest in scientific evidence when you've not taken the slightest notice of it so far?

[Blade Runner]

What about schools making money by having digital masts on their property, good or bad?