Ontario teachers' union declares war on school Wi-Fi

Claire Cohalan, a scientist with Radiation Safety Institute of Canada discusses whether there is any connection between getting cancer and using WiFi.

A A | Print |

| Comments (63)

View Larger Image

The Canadian Press

Date: Monday Feb. 13, 2012 6:40 PM ET

TORONTO — An Ontario teachers' union is calling for an end to new Wi-Fi setups in the province's 1,400-plus Catholic schools.

The Ontario English Catholic Teacher's Association says computers in all new schools should be hardwired instead of setting up wireless networks.

It also says Wi-Fi should not be installed in any more classrooms.

In a position paper released today, the union - which represents 45,000 teachers - cites research by the World Health Organization.

Last year the global health agency warned about a possible link between radiation from wireless devices such as cellphones and cancer.

Some believe wireless access to the Internet could pose similar risks.

But while Health Canada cautioned parents to limit the use of cellphones by children, it said that based on scientific evidence, low-level exposure to Wi-Fi is not dangerous.

The OECTA, in its paper, said the "safety of this technology has not thoroughly been researched and therefore the precautionary principle and prudent avoidance of exposure should be practised."

The Ontario government has said it would examine the WHO warning but wouldn't take any immediate action to require warnings on wireless devices. The province said it's up to school boards in the province to make decisions about whether to use Wi-Fi or not.

Some Canadian private schools and at least one public school board in British Columbia have removed or strictly limited Wi-Fi due to safety concerns. But many other public school boards across Canada continue to use it.

Comments are now closed for this story

Fed up in Mtl.
said
0 0

Here we go again with the "nanny state" tree huggers.By all means, don't use WIFI. Deliver your messages by bicycle ! Pick up your food the same way. Get a life.

Eric Kowalsky
said
0 0

I don't think they are as concerned about the health effects as they are kids browsing the internet on their phones during class. It's hard enough to keep the attention of kids as it is. This is only going to make it worse for them.

steve
said
0 0

Please save us from stupid people. If you can't understand the simple science that shows that this is nonsense you should not be allowed to teach children.

Ash A
said
0 0

These people couldn't be more ignorant. Wifi is on the same band as cordless telephones, which we've had in our homes, on our night stands, beside our heads for the last 15 years! We are bombarded by wifi and other radio waves throughout the day, how can they pin point that "the mysterious wifi" is to blame?

AM
said
0 0

@Fed up in Mtl -This has nothing to do with a nanny state but the health and well being of children. As a parent with kids in a Catholic school, this issue is of great importance to me.
Safety needs to be considered before anything else. There has been so much information on both sides and until the facts are really understood, I agree with this decision.
The bicycle comment doesn't really make sense either. You can't exactly pick up food by Wi-Fi - most people actually go out to grocery stores and buy it. Perhaps you need to get out more and interact with the rest of society to understand the real issues at hand.

CowTownJake
said
0 0

People may think it is a nanny state but I believe it is more sinister than that. It is all about control!!!!! That's what these teacher want and they disguise it under health concerns.

Chuck
said
0 0

Only a bunch of teachers would think that they know more than the scientists, engineers, doctors, statisticians and public health experts. Only a bunch of teachers would not see the irony of being against use of any wi-fi while ignoring the fact that having computers in the classroom at all results in EMI that would be as much (or as little) a risk as having low frequency wi-fi.

Hey, who said you had to have at least some science on your side before you can base positions based on theories?

I suppose this pretty much ends teachers being against creationism, eh?

And they wonder why we are concerned about standardized testing and trying to ensure that our kids learn something while being subjected to public education.

M
said
0 0

Not much different then the theory that eating food cooked in a mircrowave would make you stertile....

Einstein
said
0 0

Stop complaining and start teaching.

Dave
said
0 0

@AM Can you provide us with an article or study that you have read that says anything about 2.4GHz radiation (Wi-Fi, Cordless Telephone's, Microwave Ovens, Two-Way Radios etc...) being harmful and how it is argued on both "sides"? By the same token can you define what each one of the "sides" represent? Thank You.

techie
said
0 0

@AM - I have one question for you. Do you or your neighbours have WIFI?

Lz in Edmonton
said
0 0

If you missed it, the schools in Alberta have had wifi for a long time and they block surfing easily. Also, if its the radio waves these people are worried about, I suggest you go outside and get bombarded by the trillions of radio waves our sun produces and puts on your heads daily not to mention all the man made stuff. Funny, we are all still around and nobody is dying from it. Oh, and the stuff from the sun, a lot of it goes through buildings too, just not necessarily the visible light... but I digress.

Jim in Ontario
said
0 0

I don't understand this opposition. Does the union realize wi fi is everywhere from our houses to restaurants? Is this the union's way of justifying the big bucks it gets from its members?

PJ
said
0 0

Concerned parents unite! We must stop this dangerous 'wifi' from hurting our children. Responsible parents care about their kids even when they are out of sight, like in school, or when they are in their crib. What responsible parent wouldn't use a baby monitor to ensure their child's safety, and what parent wouldn't fight against radiation killing our kid!

Elise in Ontario
said
0 0

I suppose it is better to be cautious and safe than quick to change and have regrets later on (this is like the "BPA in baby bottles" debate not long ago). No one is banning internet access, just the wi-fi setup. Run a few ethernet cables and hook it up the old fashioned way.

Elizabeth
said
0 0

If the teachers are seeking to avoid the internet/concentration related problems of wifi that professors and the like have, that's fine. But call it what it is. I think they are trying to make up health reasons, not because they are legitimately concerned, but because it will get the parents worried and involved rather than making it look like they just can't control the wifi use of their classes. More strongly protected wifi seems as good an argument to be making...

yuio
said
0 0

WiFi hasn't been proven safe... until it is, it shouldn't be used... personally? i think it's dangerous, anything that emits radiation is inherently dangerous... There is nothing more important than our kids, do you really want to take the chance?

just because the government/corporations says something is safe doesn't mean it is... look up DU, GM foods, cellphones... etc.

Martin
said
0 0

@Ash A: cordless phones from 15 years ago operated at 800 Mhz at most. Wi-fi operates at microwave frequencies (2400 Mhz, or 2.4 Ghz). Phone went to 5 Ghz, but are newer phones operate at 1900 Mhz.

There are two issues:
- exposing children to waves within a concrete building (bouncing wave signals all over)
- more distractions from the outside world

Let's not make it worst for kids with ADD and ADHD.

Kevin
said
0 0

The danger from radiation from these wifi set ups is pretty much non existant. People have been living next to power and radio transmission towers for about a century now , in all countries, so we kind of would have noticed.

on the other hand , the danger of students sneaking out their iPhone or Android and surfing the net instead of doing their homework , and googling the answer to difficult questions ...

yeah , wi fi should be banned in class rooms. I agree.

Joe M
said
0 0

I'm in favour of the removal of wireless devices in the classroom. We do not know the long term effect. Plus it is a cost that the tax payers cannot afford.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN....

Jason
said
0 0

Of course the union wants them removed, so they can get more money for the teachers when its time for negotiations.

Tell the teachers to stop crying and just do your jobs.

Over Paid know it alls

Michael Giorgi
said
0 0

@AM If you are concerned then seek out more reports and become educated on the matter. Don't latch onto the flawed, weak position that the WHO report took. The report warned about a possible connection, not a definite connection. That was one report. There are hundreds of reports that intelligently show that there is no link.
As Ash A points out this is no different than cordless telephones, or FM radio for that matter. You are bombarded by cell phone radio waves all day when you go out of your house. How many of us are falling down dead because of it? This is based on fear mongering, nothing more.
The WHO should stand up and take a position rather than get on the fence and present a position that makes people lean toward mass hysteria.

T in Kanata
said
0 0

Oh my, are they completely Stupid?
These teachers have no clue, 35 years as a Engineer, believe me, no WiFI signal is going to have any effect on YOU or Kids, Many, Many, Many Studies say NO PROBLEM EVER FOUND, as normal somebody will point to one bad non-science based study, and unions love to find self justification and support non-issues. World Health Organization a joke, like the Power of the UN over dictators, not effective, no creditability. hand held Radios Teaches use in the playground kick out 100X more signal. Take those away first.

Geoff
said
0 0

Wireless internet in the schools is just another distraction for children and becomes an issue when parents allow their children to bring wireless items to school. School is not a place for children to take their cell phones or portable devices. Keep the school hardwired and this will limit the use, allow more control as to what the children are browsing, and stimulate a more classroom approach to the internet. Don't blame it on radio waves causing cancer, like Ash A said, you've had a cordless phone beside your bed for 15 years. Say it how it is, teachers are losing control of their classrooms because of wireless devices, kids are not paying attention, and their using them to cheat.

JJ - Ottawa
said
0 0

WOW, AM I don't know what to say.

Wifi is the way things are done these days when it comes to technology. You should ask your kids, you may learn a thing or two!

Jay
said
0 0

I can't go to my home, to the coffee shop, to the mall, to my friends place, or even the hospital. Can't use my laptop, my xbox, or my phone. WiFi is everywhere. But somehow, it is dangerous at schools.

If it warrants some type of review, then review it accross the board.

Pat
said
0 0

So I gather that the Ontario's Teachers Union is suggesting that WiFi in kids homes should be band as well......

RadioDude
said
0 0

What I find frustrating is that the people complaining about supposed WiFi health effects have no formal training in radio-electronics. They don't understand that a radio signal diminishes according to the inverse square law (double the distance, quarter the power), and that even at a few meters distance from a WiFi access point, the signal is reduced to incredibly low levels.
Others, with their own agendas, take advantage of the fact that when converting from one set of units to another, can make a problem appear bigger than it really is.

Let's throw some numbers into the discussion:
Your average household microwave oven leaks RF radiation at the same frequency as WiFi networks. The exact amount is strictly limited by Government standards (See Safety Code 6), but enough RF leaks from the microwave that it can knock your wireless devices off the network. On average it could be around 200uW/cm2 (two hundred micro-watts per square centimeter) at 3m distance.
Your average wireless access point operating at full power at the same 3m distance emits 0.15uW/cm2, or over a _THOUSAND_ times less power.
To those who say it is in the dose, if you use a microwave oven for a total of 6 minutes per day, you are still receiving over 240 times more RF radiation from the microwave oven than your wireless access point.

Niko
said
0 0

School system in Ontario needs to improve rapidly in order to keep today's children involved. We are not talking about Gen-Y any more, this is Multitasking generation. They CAN do and they DO many things at once, if properly connected.

Wi-Fi is a MUST in our schools, with full utilization of on-line knowledge through top-notch visualization and real-time interactivity. All of this is already available, just connect!

That is how it is done in homes and businesses, coffee shops, and grocery stores. Not having it in schools is reckless.

Our education is legislated is too poorly to keep track of changes in the world, let alone anticipate and prepare our children.

john
said
0 0

I think all this technology in the world is creating a disaster zone. I have a 4 year old child who started school this year, she has never complained about headaches before. I have been running a wifi router in the house for the longest time, she never complained. Once she started school, she has been complaing about headaches, doctors could not find anything. After viewing a program on 60 minutes, we decided to disconnect the wifi in the house. Her headaches have subsided, she still does complain every so ofter mostly after school but they have reduced drastically. so let them disconnect wifi in all schools and all public places!!!!

Canadian Bob
said
0 0

Our schoolchildren should not be exposed to something where the effects from which are not fully understood, or can be proven as harmless to them. Let's remember that children are developing in their school years, and their bodies don't need something messing with that natural process. That being said, Parents all over are screaming about the use of Wi-Fi in our schools, but I would bet that their homes are far from being WEi-Fi free. Hypocritical? Yup, but there is no need for children to have cell phones, ipods, and every other gadget under the sun at school, nor is it necessary to have wireless internet. Trim it back, and keep it safe. You might just one day be thankful you thought ahead and acted appropriately.

Ted
said
0 0

PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN....

Stop wasting our tax prayers money. There's no need or place for wireless in out schools.

Wireless access is just another distraction for the children. We have to limit the use of wireless, we need control as to what the children are browsing.

The classroom is a place to learn not surf the net.

Nikki
said
0 0

I know several teachers, and I have trouble believing the teachers are really in favour of this. Teachers themselves have smartphones etc that they use during their lunch hour or after school, and probably most of them have WIFI at home like other people. I think the union is going overboard.

Gilbert in Orleans
said
0 0

The teacher's union is a little out to lunch on this one. Wi-Fi is now pretty much everywhere, airports, coffee shops, private companies and government offices, as well as most homes, malls, and the list is growing by the minute. The reason is that it is much cheaper to install a wireless network with a wireless router than to hard wire.
Can't get away from the airwaves around us today...

curly
said
0 0

If you are so concerned about wifi, why do you carry a cell phone in your pocket? Come on. Just get back to teaching!

shawbrooke
said
0 0

It's amazing everyone is still alive, what with all those wi fi hot spots and all.

This is beyond silly. Get a life.

Kenneth Miller
said
0 0

Small children are much safer with a cell phone than with a Catholic priest.

Doug ^^^ BC
said
0 0

LOL!!! Tin foil hats anyone? To me,this makes no sense if it's supposed to be based on science.
It wasn't that long ago that people were demanding high speed internet access in all schools, and for all Canadians.Now we get this.It ranks right up there with the argument that Smart Meters for your electricity are making you sterile or impotent.
It's the 21st century folks.I think yu either live in it,or watch as the world leaves you behind.

Bill
said
0 0

Oh, how I wish that those in the Ontario Teachers' union were well educated.

Scott
said
0 0

Perhaps we should ban Catholic schools, as I suspect they want to go back to the sun revolving around the earth.

Let's be Clear
said
0 0

Come on, we all know Lululemon pants are more of a distraction than wifi. Ban those first!

Russ
said
0 0

Why not declare war on something more meaningful, like bullying, hunger, or literacy? Declaring war on Wi-Fi is pointless and will only help in your efforts to teach. Most children today are equipped with laptops and other devices that will enhance their learning experience. Teachers today complain too much as it is and will continue to do so as long as they believe everything they read. Guess what, that cell phone you have strapped to your ear after you leave school is doing exactly what Wi-Fi will do. So, give it a rest and do what you are paid to do, TEACH!

Matthew
said
0 0

As a doctor and biochemist i think this is absolute nonsense. Of course, Teachers are used to being the smartest person in the room...

Sam C
said
0 0

Among the many advantages to wi-fi (vs hard-wired) connections is that students can have their own laptops or tablet computers AT THEIR DESKS, rather than fixed desktop computers around the perimeter of the classroom. As well, the Union likes to claim it represents all their members, but it is the Catholic board here that is on the leading edge of computer and wi-fi use in classrooms.

Rick Omen
said
0 0

This is shockingly stupid.

imafkr
said
0 0

the wifi in the class room is not wide open. you need a password to access it.

cell phones don't need wifi to connect to the internet anyway.

Rick Omen
said
0 0

@PJ - do you realize that the baby monitor you refer to operates on the same frequency as the WiFi you're railing against?

charles regina
said
0 0

Actually, yes, wireless signals have been proven to cause health problems in children, notably cancer. Long term studies on adults have NOT BEEN COMPLETED. Articles have been published, and withdrawn, interestingly, from cell phone providers. Google it. Frankly, it surprises me how people these days complain how they are always stressed when they don't even realize they are actually experiencing symptoms of electro-pollution. I am proud to wear an EMF resonator and if you were daring to try and wear one of these pendants for even a day you would freak out, as I did, to the difference it makes in your everyday life. Shield yourself!

Arne
said
0 0

Hopefully teachers do not go out into the sunlight. There is all sorts of radiation from the sun!

Chris
said
0 0

Parents have wireless laptops at home, modems are wireless even if you dont use that part. The issue is most likely control in the classroom. Sounds like teachers dont make it interesting anymore.

Simple solution secure networks, if you dont have the encryption key you cant get on.

Hard wireing limits flexability and future growth, costing more in the longrun. Do it once, but that makes too much sense. Makes you wonder why education is so costly

mark
said
0 0

Wi-Fi is a safe way for sending signals. Morons that say it isn't don't understand science at all. The problem is allowing all the kids to access the network anytime they want. My daughter uses her Ipod to update face book and check e-mail while in class and no one stops her. I remember whan talking in class got you a trip to the principals office. Get a grip and start teaching.

TM
said
0 0

How many members of the Ontario English Catholic Teacher's Association have cell phones? They're going to have to ban those as well.

ITGUY
said
0 0

Seriously. We need to take a step back and be realistic here. If they want to get rid of Wifi, then they should be looking at getting rid of all the microwave ovens in the schools and at home first. They emit way more radiation than Wifi

Student
said
0 0

I'm a student at one of the Catholic schools, we have free wi-fi throughout the school and it's a great learning tool for the teachers and students. Some even use youtube from their laptops projected onto smartboards.

The advantages aside, I've taken enough physics and chemistry to know this is bs. The radiation exerted by wireless devices is no more than the cosmic background radiation that constantly surrounds us.

peter conn
said
0 0

This is just the union creating a issue to give themselves a barganing chip for the next round of contract negotiations. To wit most of the teachers and union reps have wifi at home and have no safety concerns about that. Transparent union posturing - yuk.

Jay
said
0 0

why ohhh why do we still go on about this and that causing cancer... we all have cancer in us that is genics. If it comes out well it could have been that wind you passed when you were sick that one time or it could have been the phone or perhaps the best is well of course we microwave everything.

we all die sometime right

confused engineering student
said
0 0

only appropriate response is *face palm*

The province is doomed if this trend of idiots and sheep continues. I hope the internet can save the kids and make them aware of how the world actually works.

Those teachers should just wear tin hats it they are so scared.

Lexy
said
0 0

So they object to wifi because they think it "has not thoroughly been researched", but indoctrinating young minds with fairy tales of sky zombies and talking snakes is a-okay.

Steve
said
0 0

I guess we should require AM and FM radio stations to turn off their signals as well? This WiFi fear mongering is ridiculous. You can't tie it to cellphones, it's completely different. You don't spend hours with your ear up against a WiFi transmitter or receiver. There are radio waves everywhere and WiFi isn't brand new technology. Now, should the computers be hardwired, sure why not? But there is nothing wrong with WiFi. I guess those kids shouldn't go to the mall, or any other public place that may have WiFi. Oh wait, your next-door neighbour might have it - better move to a farm in the country!

Bob T
said
0 0

the wi-fi they are talking about is much stronger than the ones in your home . Fields from cell phones and things like wi-fi could end up being linked to negative health affects . We've only had these things for about 10 yrs . It could take 20-30 yrs to find out there is a problem .

Peter Spark
said
0 0

When will this go away.So, remove WIFI go ahead.... then...No cell phones in the school period, student or teachersSmartboards that the Bluetooth connectorMicrowavesWireless headsets for the secretaryYour command start to start your car from your classroom... need I go on?

Windex
said
0 0

Actually I support the teachers. You can not compare to one cordless phone in your house to dozens of classrooms. The research is not complete on either side so why would we risk it. We got along quite well without it or there is an alternative with hardwired....why not go with the guaranteed safer of the two.

Keith MacInnis
said
0 0

You can't expect reason from a school run by Catholic's.