Cell phones with cameras will soon be banned in Trinidad schools.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - Government is moving to ban mobile phones with cameras from all schools here.

Education Minister Esther Le Gendre said Thursday that principals have been given guidelines "to implement a ban on the use of camera phones in schools".

This latest development comes after pornograhpic images were taken by students and put on the internet recently. This caused outrage among several interest groups including the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association and the National Parent Teacher Association.

Le Gendre said principals, who are effectively the frontline managers of schools in this country, "are being asked to exercise their authority firmly, fairly and swiftly in matters of discipline.

She said where it is warranted sanctions will be placed on students who breach this new arrangement.

Le Gendre said in the wake of recent incidents of violence and indiscipline in the nation's schools a security manager is to be hired on June 1. He is to "review the security policy of the ministry and develop a strategic plan for the management of safety for schools as well as the facilities occupied by non-teaching staff of the ministry".

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