Online chat ‘hitting school work’

person holding mobile phone Some teachers said children were accessing sites from school despite bans on mobile phones
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Many teachers believe pupils’ work is suffering because of an obsession with social networking, a survey suggests.

Two thirds of teachers questioned said children were rushing their homework and doing it badly so they could chat online.

Out of 500 UK teachers involved in the online survey by One Poll, three quarters said parents should limit the time their children spent online.

And 58% said spelling was suffering in the digital age.

A similar number said children’s handwriting was not as good as it should be because they were more used to keyboards and touchpads than pen and paper.

Half of those who took part said children’s “obsession” with social networking was affecting their ability to concentrate in class.

And one in four said they believed children with the poorest grades in school were those who did the most online social networking.

The survey was carried out JCA, a company which provides school trips.

Spokeswoman Janie Burt said: “Rather than relying on life experiences, educational travel and face to face interaction with others, children are becoming obsessed with social networking and this is shaping their attitudes instead.

“And as the teachers spell out, it is this obsession which has a direct impact on the future of our children – affecting their grades because they fail to complete their homework on time or to the standard required, and being unable to concentrate in class.”

The survey for One Poll was carried out online in the UK between 19 and 25 October.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

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