The Ministry of Education has denied reports that it had allowed students to use mobile phones in schools, according to a Makkah daily report that appeared on Monday. "These reports are totally baseless and incorrect," the ministry's spokesman Mubarak Al-Ossaimi has said.

He said there was no decision to the effect from the ministry so far. In a hashgtag titled: "Allowing mobile phones in schools," a number of tweeters hailed the decision while many of them were against it.

The supporters said the use of smart phones in schools will make the educational institutions paperless and will help students closely follow up the teaches and will also benefit them in their research works. The opponents said if allowed to be used in schools, the mobile phones will distract the students from absorbing their lessons or carefully listening to their teachers.

The tug between the supporters and the opponents of the mobile phones in schools is taking place at a time the ministry is going toward digital education through its "future gate" which is one of the ministry's initiatives for the 2020 National Transformation Program.

The ministry was endeavoring to create a new educational environment depending on technology to impart knowledge to the students and increasing the skills of the teachers. It will be using what is called Learning Management Systems (LMS) which is a collection of digital programs and applications in which technology is used as a method of teaching.

SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE