Read the following extract and then complete the activities.
Students thrive as head bans mobile phones
Effect on pupils' learning 'dramatic' after school bans students from using mobile phones on campus.
Students at Burnage Media Arts College in Manchester are forbidden from using mobiles anywhere at any time on campus.
The ban was brought in after children disrupted lessons by texting and playing games on their phones. There were also concerns that pupils were cyber-bullying one another using texts and Blackberry messaging (BBM).
Headteacher Ian Fenn introduced a zero-tolerance ban to curb the problem. Any pupil seen using a phone has it confiscated, with their parents having to go into the school in order to get it back.
Staff at the boys-only school, on Burnage Lane, say the difference in behaviour has been 'dramatic' since the ban was introduced a year ago. Parents and governors have given their full backing, while education watchdog Ofsted have also praised the move.
Mr Fenn, who has been at the school since 2001, said: "I think mobile phones rather crept up on education - and in our experience it was a nightmare.
Activities1. What do the words in red mean?
2. Which points in the article do you agree with? Which points do you disagree with?
3. In pairs, make a list of reasons we SHOULD allow mobile phoens in schools.
Have a class debate about mobile phones and whether they should or shouldn't be allowed.
