ATL

Calls made for investigation into health effects of wi-fi

09 April 2009

Teachers have raised concerns about the health implications of installing wireless internet systems in schools.

Members of the Assocation of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have called for a major investigation to be carried out by the government into the biological and thermal effects of wi-fi networks.

The union has argued that these should not be used until it is proved that they do not cause a threat to children's health.

Wi-fi networks are currently installed in half of primary schools and almost three-quarters of secondary schools in the UK.

ATL member Colin Kinney, a teachers from Cookstown High School in Northern Ireland, proposed the motion.

He raised concerns that pupils could be risking cancer or sterility due to the installation of these networks.

'Should we force our pupils to use it without long-term safety studies being carried out? I don't believe we should,' he stated.

Professor Dylan Wiliam of the Institute of Education recently suggested that schools could be wasting money on investing in technology if they have not employed high-quality teachers.