Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Removal of Wi-Fi from Schools and Libraries in Canada and Other Countries


CANADA

2011 Aurora School in Ontario removed Wifi and replaced with hardwired connections to protect children's health.


2011 North Cariboo Christian School in Quesnel, B.C., removed Wi-fi and replaced with hardwired connections to protect children's health.

2011 Saanich School District on Victoria Island, BC has passed the use of technology policy at their board meeting, which included:
a. There will be no Wi-Fi in elementary schools.
b. In middle and secondary schools, managed Wi-Fi environments may be in adult workplaces including staff rooms and offices as necessary.
c.
Middle schools will have up to 25% coverage of student areas... 

2007 Therold, Ontario closes down its citywide Wi-Fi pilot scheme.
 

2008 Lakehead University, Ontario banned Wi-Fi on campus.
 

2010 Meaford, Ontario St. Vincent Euphrasia elementary school: Parents voted to turn off Wi-Fi.
 

2010 Surrey, BC Roots and Wings Montessori Place removed Wi-Fi 
Letter written by Kristin Cassie, the Principal :
http://www.stayonthetruth.com/wifi-removed-at-surrey-bc-school-2010.php

WORLD
 

2005 Salzburg, Austria: Banned Wi-Fi in schools and nursuries.
http://bemri.org/publications/biological-effects-of-non-ionizing-radiation/wifi-and-dect/doc_view/136-advisory-letter-to-schools-re-dect-and-wifi.raw?tmpl=component
 

2006 Frankfurt, Germany: Banned Wi-Fi in public schools.
http://www.buergerwelle-schweiz.org/fileadmin/user_upload/buergerwelle-schweiz/Mobilfunk/Frankf_Rund_keinWLAN.pdf
 

2006 Prebandal Preparatory School, Chichester, England: Removed Wi-Fi from its campus
 

2006 Stowe School, Buckinghamshire, England: Removed Wi-Fi from campus.
 

2006 Ysgol Pantycelyn School, Carmarthenshirem, Wales: Removed Wi-Fi from campus.
 

2007 Germany’s Federal Government’s national warning: Avoid exposure to radiation emanating from WiFi in cafés, schools, public “hot spots", and private homes. Recommended that people should keep their exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi "as low as possible".  http://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/16/061/1606117.pdf

 
2007 Bavaria, Germany: Recommended no Wi-Fi in schools.
 

2007 Voice (UK Teachers Union): Called for a ban on Wi-Fi in schools.
 

2008 Ballinderry Primary School, Ireland: Removed Wi-Fi
 

2008  The European Parliament voted almost unanimously (522 to 16) to urge Cabinet Ministers across Europe to introduce stricter regulations for microwave exposure.


2008-2010 National Library of France and four public libraries in France: Removed Wi-Fi .
 

2008 Sainte-Geneviève University, Paris: Removed Wi-Fi from library.
 

2008 USA Progressive Librarians Guild: Recommended no wireless technology in libraries & schools
 

2008 DfES UK: placed the responsibility on individual schools to decide whether to install Wi- Fi technology.
 


2009 Hérouville Saint-Clair, France: Banned Wi-Fi in public schools.
 

2010 Switzerland: Swiss Government and Swisscom, its largest telcom provider, offered fibre-optic wiring to schools for free for conversion from Wi-Fi to hardwiring networks.
 

2010 New Zealand: decision to install wifi rested with the individual school principal and school board.

2010 Israel's Position Paper on Electromagnetic Radiation in a School Environmet

2010 Parliament of HESSE (Germany) Ruling:
"88% Wired Internet Access... To reduce the exposure to electrosmog but also to provide the computers with faster access to the school network, a wired connection should be given preference wherever possible. For this, however, school authorities need to lay the necessary groundwork. Classrooms must be fitted with many, easily accessible network ports. Desks must be arranged in such a way that cluttered network cables do not pose a risk to students."
http://www.magdahavas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/German_Swiss_Wifi_In-Schools_Warn.pdf