McGuinty backs Wi-Fi in schools

Premier Dalton McGuinty is shrugging off concerns raised by an Ontario teachers' union about Wi-Fi in public schools.

The Ontario English Catholic Teacher's Association says computers in all new schools should be hardwired instead of setting up wireless networks.

It also says Wi-Fi should not be installed in any more classrooms, citing health risks.

But McGuinty says he's following the advice of Health Canada and the province's chief medical officer of health.

He says he's been reassured by Canadian experts that Wi-Fi doesn't pose a danger to students.

While Health Canada has cautioned parents to limit the use of cellphones by children, it said that based on scientific evidence, low-level exposure to Wi-Fi is not dangerous.

"I know that they continue to monitor these things very closely," McGuinty said.

"They take a look at the research and the knowledge that we accumulate around the world on an ongoing basis and, again, I place my confidence in them."

But the union, which represents 45,000 teachers, cites research by the World Health Organization to back up its claim that schools shouldn't have Wi-Fi.

The global health agency warned last year about a possible link between radiation from wireless devices such as cellphones and cancer.

Some believe wireless access to the Internet could pose similar risks.

In a position paper released Monday, the union said the "safety of this technology has not thoroughly been researched and therefore the precautionary principle and prudent avoidance of exposure should be practised."

The province has said it's up to school boards to make decisions about whether to use Wi-Fi or not.

Some Canadian private schools and at least one public school board in British Columbia have removed or strictly limited Wi-Fi due to safety concerns. But many other public school boards across Canada continue to use it.