02/06/2026
DISCIPLINE OR DEPRIVATION? THE EXPULSION OF 25 GIRLS FOR CELL PHONE POSSESSION REIGNITES DEBATE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
By Gloria Likisi, Kalabo Town Special Features Reporter
The recent expulsion of 25 pupils from Musonda Girls Technical High School in Mwense District, Luapula Province of Zambia, for being found in possession of cell phones has sparked a national debate on discipline, technology, and the future of education in the digital age.
The affected learners, drawn from Grades 10 and 12, reportedly lost their places permanently, with the vacancies already allocated to other pupils. While the decision has generated sympathy from some sections of society, education experts argue that the incident presents an important opportunity to reflect on the role of discipline in schools and the growing challenges posed by mobile technology among learners.
Musonda Girls Technical High School, one of Zambia's flagship girls' STEM boarding institutions, was established to nurture future female scientists, engineers, innovators and technology leaders. Yet the irony is difficult to ignore: students being trained for a technology-driven future have found themselves punished for possessing one of the world's most common technological devices. However, school administrators and child development experts insist that the issue is not the technology itself but the misuse of it.
Across Africa and the world, schools continue to grapple with the impact of smartphones on learning environments. While mobile phones can provide access to educational resources, they have increasingly become associated with distractions, cyberbullying, examination malpractice, exposure to inappropriate content, online gambling, and unhealthy social media addiction.
Research conducted in various countries has shown that excessive smartphone use among teenagers can reduce concentration levels, interfere with sleep patterns, lower academic performance, and contribute to anxiety and depression.
Teachers frequently complain that learners spend more time on social media platforms than on academic work. In boarding schools, where supervision becomes more challenging after study hours, mobile phones often create secret communication networks that undermine institutional rules and discipline.
Educational psychologists note that adolescence is a period when young people are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure and digital influence. Without proper controls, smartphones can expose learners to harmful behaviours long before they possess the maturity needed to navigate them responsibly.
Education is not merely about passing examinations. Schools are entrusted with the responsibility of moulding character, promoting responsibility, and preparing young people to become productive citizens.
Throughout history, some of the world's most respected institutions have maintained strict codes of conduct. Rules regarding uniforms, attendance, punctuality and prohibited items exist not to punish learners but to create environments conducive to learning.
Supporters of Musonda Girls' decision argue that rules lose meaning when violations carry no consequences. They contend that allowing students to ignore established regulations would undermine authority and send a message that institutional policies can be disregarded without repercussions.
Many parents who sacrifice significantly to educate their children expect schools to maintain high standards of discipline. For them, enforcing rules consistently remains an essential part of quality education.
Yet the story does not end there.
Critics question whether permanent expulsion is the most appropriate response to possession of cell phones, particularly when education is increasingly recognised as a fundamental right.
The expulsion of Grade 12 pupils is especially controversial because many were approaching the final stages of their secondary education. Losing a school place can have profound academic, emotional and psychological consequences.
Speaking in a phone interview, the Center for African Network NGO Chief Operating Officer Likando Mukanwa Esq; a Behavior Therapist, argue that disciplinary measures should balance accountability with rehabilitation, suggesting that alternatives such as suspension, community service, counselling, confiscation of devices, parental engagement, or behaviour contracts before resorting to permanent exclusion must have been explored.
He added that the challenge facing education authorities globally is how to maintain discipline while ensuring that punishments do not permanently derail a learner's future.
"Around the world, governments have adopted varying approaches to smartphone use in schools.
Some countries have imposed complete bans during learning hours, while others permit phones for educational purposes under strict supervision. In several jurisdictions, phones are collected at the beginning of the day and returned after classes." He added.
The common thread in successful policies is clear guidance, consistent enforcement, and cooperation between schools, parents and learners.
Experts increasingly agree that technology itself is neither the enemy nor the solution. What matters is how it is managed.
The Musonda Girls incident also raises important questions about parental responsibility.
Many boarding schools clearly communicate prohibited items before learners report for school. Yet every year, schools continue to confiscate phones and other banned materials.
Parents who knowingly provide learners with prohibited devices may inadvertently contribute to disciplinary problems. Effective education requires partnership between homes and schools, not competition between the two.
When parents undermine school regulations, learners receive conflicting messages about authority and accountability.
The expulsion of 25 pupils from Musonda Girls Technical High School is ultimately about more than mobile phones.
It is a reminder of the complex realities facing modern education systems. Schools must prepare learners for a digital future while simultaneously protecting them from the dangers that technology can bring.
The incident challenges educators, parents, policymakers and learners themselves to rethink how discipline and technology can coexist in the twenty-first century.
As society debates whether the punishment was too harsh or entirely justified, one lesson remains clear: academic excellence cannot thrive where discipline collapses, just as discipline alone cannot fulfil its purpose if it destroys opportunities for learning and personal growth.
The future of education lies not in choosing between discipline and technology, but in finding the wisdom to balance both.
