A lawmaker representing Akinyele 1 State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Olalekan Abiola, has moved a motion to prohibit the use of mobile phones by students in secondary schools during school hours.

Mr Abiola made the appeal when moving a motion titled “Need to ban the use of Mobile phones in Secondary Schools in the State to improve Student Discipline and better academic performance.”

According to him, while mobile phones serve as important communication tools, their misuse among secondary school students has led to negative behavioural patterns, increased truancy, and a decline in reading culture.

“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 said.

The lawmaker emphasised the need for school authorities to establish official communication channels that allow parents to reach their wards in emergencies without disrupting learning activities.

Consequently, the House directed its standing Committee on Education, both Basic and Secondary, to engage all relevant stakeholders.

These include the Ministry of Education, Agency for Mobilisation, and Ministry of Information, among others, for dialogue and to work out the modalities to adopt in curbing the use of phones in secondary schools across the state.

(NAN)