U.K. educators: School Wi-Fi networks should be stopped

A major teachers union in the United Kingdom says the use of wireless internet access in schools should be suspended amid claims that children might be exposed to health risks, reports the Daily Telegraph. The union said schools should "stick to wired computers" until it can be proven that wireless networks do not cause cancer or sterility. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers, which represents more than 160,000 school staff, called for a major investigation into the biological and thermal effects of Wi-Fi. Wireless internet systems reportedly have been installed in nearly three-quarters of secondary schools and half of primary schools across the U.K. At the ATL's annual conference in Liverpool, teachers backed calls for curbs on the use of Wi-Fi until its potential health risks have been properly assessed. Becta, the British government's educational technology agency, says it does not actively promote use of the technology but insists it can "complement" a school's wired network. Current guidance from the Health Protection Agency suggests there is "no consistent evidence of health effects" from Wi-Fi equipment. But its chairman, Sir William Stewart, broke ranks two years ago by saying there should be a review of the health effects amid fears they could pose even greater dangers than cell phone towers...

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