Letter of the week: Schools should keep students’ personal learning devices

It disturbs me to know that some secondary school students spend three or four hours a day using social media or messaging apps on their personal learning devices during school hours (

Are school-issued iPads and Chromebooks becoming a distraction in S’pore classrooms?,

Oct 20).

Teachers say using these devices facilitates the sharing of notes and project discussions on Google Classroom platforms. They can also help in class participation as students give their responses online. But at what cost should we embrace such digital savviness?

Students are distracted during lessons, and use their devices discreetly and uncontrollably. They would rather sacrifice their recess and lunchtime to use their devices.

Research has shown that adolescents’ brains are still immature. We should not expect these students to make decisions and exercise self control over the usage of their devices.

Neither should we expect them to take the initiative to seek help when they struggle with digital technology addiction.

Even we as adults can lose ourselves in our mindless scrolling.

The article mentioned that schools will provide counselling, referrals and further intervention when needed, but these are merely reactive measures undertaken when students are already addicted.

I propose that all personal learning devices remain the school’s property and be kept in a safe at the back of the classrooms. They should be distributed only when they are required for lessons.

The time and trouble taken to keep or distribute the devices is insignificant, compared with the effort teachers put into catching students using them discreetly and then warning them and confiscating the devices. I believe that confiscation does not help because students know they will still get their device back eventually.

There is a season for everything, and to have a personal device so readily available in the season of adolescence is too early.

Sarah Wong Bi Wen