This week in Oak class, children have been discussing controversial topics to debate in a structured argument between two teams. They have had to assess what opinions and facts are about a subject and understand how improtant it is to justify their opinions.

Should mobile phones be banned for under 11s?

The Argument For...

"Children may use all their time watching their phone and not spend time exercising or socialising which can affect their mental or physical health. Children may get more and more addicted and spend less time with their family. If children don't have a mobile phone they will be more likely to do educational activities outside of school. Young children could access inappropriate things and get influenced by rebelious people, becomng rebelious themselves. They could get bullied and feel bad about themselves. Young children could  click on a screen message and get scammed as they are too young to understand. Children could accidentaly share their personal information when you are young and may be exposed to swearing which means that they will learn inappropriate language."

The Argument Against...

"If you are worried about your child getting scammed, there are protections on phones to stop this. In an emergency children will be able to call home or the police/fire brigade/ambulance or school. There is a thing called parent control, where parents can add time limits or track children. Having your own mobile phone will also help you to communicate with friends and family. Mobile phone apps can also encourage creativitiy"

"In conclusion, I think that children will benefit more from NOT having phones until they are 11."

Should homework be banned?

The Argument For...

"Some children don't enjoy homework and it can make them feel stressed or anxious when it dawns on them that they have homework due. Children and teenagers should spend more time exercising, socialising and doing things they have a passion for instead of spending time working. School is already enough, so why should homework be there to add more time?"

The Argument Against...

"Without homework, a child can not reach as high in their lessons as they might with it. Homework helps children pinpoint and specify what the might need help on or what they are good at. If they do homework, they will learn more so they can help siblings or friends, if they are struggling in a lesson. If you didn't have homework, tests and exams would be much tougher. It can distract children from worry and keep them busy.

"In conclusion, I think homework should NOT be banned for all the reasons I have explained above."

Should screen time be limited?

The Argument For...

"Excessive screen time can affect children's mental health and behaviour. It can affect the amount of sleep and the quality of their vision. It can also prevent you being creative."

The Argument Against...

"Chidren enjoy their screen time. It can be useful for education, work etc and can be used as downtime. You can also communicate on screens, with people you rarey see in person."

"In conclusion, I think screen time SHOULD be limited but not immensely because of the impact of screen time on your health."