ipod
03/23/2005, 1:50pm, EST
Wednesday, March 23rd
Sydney private school bans iPods
The teenagers' gadget of choice, the iPod, has been banned by a Sydney private school because they lead to "social isolation." The principal of International Grammar School, Kerrie Murphy, said her decision to ban the devices coincided with the international debate on how "people were not tuning into other people because they're tuned into themselves". She was also worried that students using iPods could not hear teachers, that the iPods put stress on ears when played at high volumes and were a security risk. "They allow students to avoid communication with others and may lead to social isolation or escape from our community," she told parents in a letter last week. Murphy said yesterday that significant numbers of her Ultimo secondary school's 500 students had shown up at the start of new year with iPods. "I think iPods are fantastic, they're brilliant pieces of technology but kids don't need them at school."
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Fact is, schools should be embracing technology instead of fighting it. Mac, PC... who cares? One way or the other, kids should be exposed to such things because these are the things they'll be using when they enter the real world... or, at least, a real school.
Just my two cents... I don't know what the conversion rate is, sorry.
Now, if this is a boarding school, I disagree. They should be allowed to use iPods when studying, during leisure time, etc.
Since when is school about preparing students for the real world? High schools generally help prepare for University and College, which help prepare in joining the academic community (a liberal arts education, anyway). Trade schools help prepare students for the real world. or whatever the real world is at that moment.
Otherwise, you ain't takin' my iPod from me!