School praised for selfies ban
A high-school ban on students taking selfies for their social media feeds has been praised by the school’s students and community.
Students heading off to Ha¯ wera High School camps have been forbidden to take photographs on their cellphones and instead the school has organised for professional photographs to be taken.
‘‘We want them to make the most of camps, and part of that is being present in the moment,’’ principal Rachel Williams said.
‘‘Phones should be a tool, not something you live on.’’
It’s part of a school-wide practice of reducing cellphone use in class, after the school’s computers were hacked in August and student coursework and other data was held to ransom.
The school has been working with an internet safety and risk assessment consultant and students have been reminded about the responsible use of cellphones, including asking permission to take photos of people, the importance of online identities, and keeping safe online.
‘‘I suspect we may not have put it like this before but I guarantee people running these camps have told them to put their phones away,’’ Williams said.
‘‘You want them to be enjoying the moment rather than worrying about their phone.’’
Student Grace Coogan, 14, thought it was ‘‘brilliant . . . to get outdoors and forget about your social media life’’.
Porscha Nickel, 15, agreed: ‘‘I think it’s a really good idea because people are hard into their phones at the moment and they don’t experience the world. People will be having face to face interactions instead of phones getting in the way.’’
Fellow principal Martin Chamberlain, of Francis Douglas Memorial College, applauded Williams saying his college switches off internet during breaks to encourage pupils to talk to each other.
‘‘Class camps offer a rare escape because, unlike much in today’s world, they should not be a blend of real and virtual,’’ he said.
‘‘Their environment should instead be appreciated with all the senses rather than a fixated gaze at a small screen.’’
‘‘We want them to make the most of camps, and part of that is being present in the moment.’’ Principal Rachel Williams