MXit blamed for exam results

2006-11-03 11:08

Cheri-Ann James

Port Elizabeth - Forget about SMSs. MXit is driving parents, teachers and school principals around the bend.

This cellphone chat programme, which is similar to chat rooms on the internet, is a cheap way of communicating with friends and family at a cost of only two cents a call.

MXit is available free of charge and is loaded onto cellphones via WAP settings.

According to parents and teachers, it is causing a communication nightmare.

Lucy Davids, mother of 16-year-old twins Shané and Sadé, two weeks ago confiscated her daughters' cellphones and locked them in her sister's safe.

"The twins did poorly in the June exams and I think MXit played a huge role," she said.

She said her daughters spent hardly 10 minutes a day with the rest of the family before disappearing to their room to mix with their contacts.

'I had to put my foot down'

"MXit might be innocent, but their schoolwork comes first. I had to put my foot down," she said.

Another worried parent said she also had to confiscate her son's phone.

"My 18-year-old son didn't sleep anymore. I was very worried, as it caused friction between him and my husband. We as parents don't understand what MXit is," she said.

Elton Alexander, 22, who uses MXit, admitted that the programme had taken over the lives of young people.

"My sister mixes day and night. Many children give their personal information to strangers in chatrooms on MXit.

"They are not careful and it can cause a lot of trouble."

Schoolwork is suffering

A teacher at the Greenpoint senior secondary school in East London said she didn't allow cellphones in the classroom anymore.

"Their schoolwork is suffering. They are not concentrating, they just sit there in a world of their own."

Maria de Jager, a teacher at AW Barnes primary school in East London, agreed.

"There is communication breakdown and the children are not concentrating on their studies.

"The children are also becoming very secretive."

MXit was introduced a year ago and has spread like wildfire among adults and youths.

Since then about 1.8m people have joined and this number is increasing daily.

Cellphones in schools

Donald Smiles, DA spokesperson for education in the Eastern Cape, asked Mkhangeli Matomela, MEC for education, in the legislature whether the education department had a plan to stop the abuse of cellphones in schools.

"It is worrying that pupils chat (MXit) during school time, because it takes up their academic time," said Smiles.

Matomela said the department planned to set down rules during 2007.

Ramon Thomas, an online behavioural specialist from NETucation, has just released The Parents Guide to MXit.

- Die Burger