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Schools across the country have begun removing their wireless computer networks amid fears the new technology could pose a health risk to children. Parents and teachers claim low levels of microwave radiation emitted from the transmitters may be damaging pupils, potentially even causing cancer in the long term. Scientific evidence is inconclusive but some researchers say children face a greater health risk because of their thinner skulls and developing nervous system. According to The Times, which spoke to a handful of schools replacing wireless systems with their cabled predecessors, parents and head-teachers are opting for a precautionary approach. One concerned mother reportedly said: “Many people campaign against mobile phone masts near schools but there is a great deal of ignorance about wireless computer networks. “Yet they are like having a phone mast in the classroom and the transmitters are placed very close to the children.” One school dismantling its wireless network said local authorities told them the technology was safe to use, but it insisted the long-term effects were still unknown. “We listened to the parents’ views and they were obviously very concerned,” said Tim Cannell, headteacher at Prebendal School, in Chichester, West Sussex. “We had been having problems with the reliability of it anyway, so we decided to exchange it for a conventional cabled system.” Responding to the paper’s investigation, Michael Bevington, a former classics teacher, said he was in no doubt as to the impact of the transmitters. “I felt a steadily widening range of unpleasant effects whenever I was in the classroom. “First came a thick headache, then pains throughout the body, sudden flush, pressure behind the eyes, sudden skin pains and burning sensations, along with bouts of nausea.” The Health Protection Agency says evidence of the health risk posed by wireless technology has become more persuasive in the past five years. Their enquiry found that in light of the absence of any evidence showing the technology damages health, a precautionary approach should be taken. Nov 21, 2006 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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