Never mind the technology, where’s the learning?

Attitudes to science and technology are certainly interesting these days. The Times recently reported that a number of schools in the UK had switched off their wi-fi network due to parental pressure over health concerns. Tim Cannell, Head of ‘a prestigious Prep School in Chichester’, told
The Times:

“We listened to the parents’ views and they were obviously
very concerned. We also did a lot of research. The authorities say it’s
safe, but there have been no long-term studies to prove this.”

It seems strange that lack of evidence is taken as a reason to stop using technology. Many of the schools cited in the article are replacing the wi-fi with traditional cable.

I’d be the last to argue that we should be putting anything into a school that might harm its students, but our late 20th / early 21st century skepticism about technology is often unproportionate to the proven or unproven risks involved.

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