� Calling all students, parents, and concerned citizens! We need your support to bring back WIFI connection for students' phones at Wellington East Girl's College.

The school made an unexpected decision to cut WIFI connection from every student's phone since the start of term 3, and it's causing significant disruptions and inequalities. This means all students can't check emails, texts, school timetables or anything else during school hours including morning tea and lunch break times.

This is an issue for a few main reasons:

It affects our schoolwork

The wifi has not only been turned off for phones but for iPads as well which many students use for their schoolwork instead of a laptop. It also affects art students in particular as they can no longer send photos from phones to laptops. When we used to have WIFI, social media apps were blocked during classes so phones were not an issue before the WIFI was turned off. It is clear that WIFI availability did not inhibit our academic progress, especially during lunch times, making this decision unneeded and unfair.

It means students are less organized

The mobile KAMAR app where we all access our timetables and school notices needs WIFI, so without WIFI we can't use it. We also can't go on our email app. This means that many students are struggling with organization, don't know what classes to go to and what notices there are. For example, sometimes a class location will be changed last minute. When we had WIFI, it was a simple check to the phone on the way to class but now students would have to sit down in class, open laptops, check emails then leave so its now much more of a hassle. It means that parents and students can't communicate with each other during school hours.

It disproportionately affects students with less money

To be able to check emails, timetables, school notices, texts etc students now have to turn on data. This affects students who cannot afford expensive data or cannot afford very much data. Students who have more money can turn on their data during school and use any app, which leads to inequalities. And when students can afford to have their data on all day, that means that they can access any apps during class times which even encourages social media app usage which was previously blocked on the wifi.

By signing this petition, you can make a difference and advocate for the restoration of WIFI connection at Wellington East Girl's College. Together, we can show the school administration the importance of equitable access to technology and the impact it has on our education, organization, and overall well-being.

Help us raise our voices and spread the word by sharing this petition with your friends, family, and fellow students. Your signature matters, and it can pave the way for positive change at our school. Let's work together to ensure that all students have the tools they need to thrive in their academic journey. Sign the petition now and stand for equal opportunities in education!