Soft alerts sound death knell for shrill school bells

MAKKAH: The era of shrill bells in schools of Makkah is expected to end with the availability of better options of soft and soothing alerts as in airports and communications companies, according to an online newspaper.
A soft voice announcing, "It is beginning of the first period," is expected to be an alternative to traditional shrill bells in schools. A similar voice would also be repeated to mark the progress of the day in schools.
Six years after British schools gave up traditional bells to be replaced by announcements and alerts, some schools in Makkah also decided to move forward. They are reported to have realized that psychological scars were left by the traditional bells on students, both boys and girls.
Experiments in schools of hearing-impaired children, who depend on certain signals and signs, have strengthened the idea of introducing soft and soothing alerts for use in schools.
Abdulaziz Al-Thaqafi, director of educational media at the education department of Makkah, said that the change of style of school bells depends on principals provided they do not violate rules and regulations. The most important thing in school is that this should announce the beginning and end of classes. Except for that, principals can decide which suits children and is not harsh on them, he said. Abdur Rahman Al-Ghamdi, principal of the Ali bin Abi Talib and Ballat Shuhada Secondary and Middle School, said that the bells have had a long relationship with schools. The traditional sound is historically related to school education.
Ali Kariedah, spokesman of Technical College of Makkah, said the bell was a tradition in Egypt which was a French colony. “They left this heritage with us. Therefore, it is important to give up this practice and start use of colorful lights inside classrooms. Sometimes, the school bells disturb the neighborhood.”