You are a member of the school debating team which opposes the motion that 'Hand phones should be

allowed in schools'.
 
Good morning and warm welcome to the respectable judges, the opposition team, teachers and fellow
students. First of all, I would like to convey my gratitude for being given the opportunity to represent the
team that opposes the motion hand phones should be allowed in schools.
There are many important reasons why hand phones or cellular phones should not be allowed at the
school premises. Although recent years have witnessed an "explosion" of hand phones in Malaysia, it
would be a grave mistake to allow school students to bring them to school. Firstly, possession of hand
phones distracts students from their studies. In fact, the main reason why the government has made it
illegal for drivers to use hand phones while on the road is that it increases risks of accidents. Likewise,
hand phone users at schools would be busy either sending short message texts (SMS) or calling their
friends when they should be focusing on their studies.
Secondly, hand phones are becoming cheaper to own. With the introduction of the prepaid system, many
students even from poor backgrounds are able to own hand phones. Thus, I have personally witnessed
how students compete to buy expensive handphones with the latest features. Video phones are the latest
craze and there have been cases reported in the press whereby students have used the phones to film other
students in compromising positions. They have in fact used the films to black mail the targeted student or
sell them to VCD peddlers or even circulate them through the internet.
Thirdly, there are still many poor students who are unable to afford these phones which I would consider
a luxury rather than a necessity. Hence, they face a tremendous amount of pressure to own hand phones,
some even resorting to stealing or shoplifting. The undue pressure on them is unhealthy. Instead of
feeling the pressure to perform better at school, students face competition to show off their wealth and
possessions. This is leading to the spread of negative materialistic culture which our Eastern society
abhors.
Fourthly, students have been apprehended using the SMS to cheat in the examinations. Many teachers
have caught them red-handed using this latest hand phone technology to cheat and do well in the exams.
Those who have not been caught continue to engage in this illicit method to further their academic
achievements. Honest and ethical students feel undermined by this and many are prepared to throw in the
towel and cheat as well. They fail to see the point of studying hard and competing fairly in the exams
when others who do not put in any effort at all to earn high marks.
Supporters of hand phones say that they should be allowed to be used in schools for emergency purposes.
Though I concede that parents and students should stay in touch via phones in cases of emergency, it does
not mean that handphones are the solution. School authorities must make the effort to install and make
available more public phones. Phone use should be restricted to the morning or lunch breaks
I am sure that most, if not all of you, would agree with my position on this issue. Hence, I would reiterate
that hand phones should be banned from the school premises due to its negative effects. Thank you.