Oyo state house of Assembly has directed its standing committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) to engage all relevant stakeholders for dialogue and workout the modalities to adopt in curbing the use of phones in both private and public secondary schools across the state.

Stakeholders to be engaged include: Ministry of Education, Agency for Mobilisation, Ministry of Information among others.

The directive was issued after deliberations and discussion by the lawmakers on a motion brought before it by the member representing Akinyele 1 State Contituency, Hon. Olalekan Abiola.

Abiola had in the motion appealed to the State government to enforce a ban on the use of personal mobile phones by students in all public and private secondary schools across the state, particularly during school hours.

He said the need to ban the use of Mobile phone among secondary school students during school hours is imperative in view of the need to improve students’ discipline and enhance academic development. 

The motion titled “Need to ban the use of mobile phones in secondary schools in the state to improve student discipline and better academic performance” was presented during the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin.

In his explanation to justify the motion, the lawmaker noted that while mobile phones serve as important communication tools, their misuse among secondary school students have led to negative behavioural patterns, including increased cases of truancy, peer influence in harmful activities and a decline in reading culture. 

The motion reads in part, “The use of mobile phones in secondary schools has become a growing concern, as it contributes to distraction during learning hours, reduces students’ focus on academics, and promotes indiscipline.

“The students have gone as far as smuggling mobile phones into examination halls to cheat, undermining the credibility of academic assessments. 

“The unrestricted access to mobile phones has also contributed to rising cases of cyberbullying, sex – texting, and exposure to inappropriate materials, which negatively influence students’ behaviour.”

He however suggested the need for school authorities to establish official communication channels that allow parents to reach their wards in emergencies without disrupting learning activities.