On 10th December 2018, Mr. Leung, our vice principal, gave us a message about freedom and discipline in phone usage at school. Using the British sci-fi TV series “Black Mirror’, Mr. Leung warned us the danger of addiction and corruption through undisciplined use of smartphones. He pointed out an important fact that our current mobile phone policy allowing students to bring smartphones to school could only be sustained though the trust by the school and the promise to self discipline by the students. It was a product of the consensus reached between the school administrators and the 3rd Student Union years ago. The policy has since become a symbol of the free spirit of St. Francis Xavier College. Sadly, according to Mr. Leung, the irresponsible phone usage by some students during school hours recently had forced the school to review the current mobile phone policy. He urged all students to be self disciplined in compliance with all the rules attached to the policy and not throw away this hard earned freedom easily.
Let’s take Mr. Leung’s message seriously and remember that liberty comes with a price. If we don’t behave and live up to the standards that warrant the trust from the school, perhaps we don’t deserve the freedom that so many schools have already taken away to enforce discipline.