Teens find old-school clocks a waste of time

A teachers' union says students in the UK have become used to digital display clocks.

Schools are removing analogue clocks from exam halls because teenagers are unable to tell the time.

A head teachers' union has said that digital devices are replacing circular clockfaces after pupils sitting their GCSEs and A-levels complained they were struggling to read the right time.

Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders, said pupils had become accustomed to digital display.

"The current generation aren't as good at reading the traditional clock face," he said.

"They are used to seeing a digital representation of time on their phone, or on their computer."

Trobe said teachers wanted students to be as relaxed as possible during exams and having a traditional clock in the room could cause unnecessary stress.

"You don't want them to put their hand up to ask how much time is left," he said.

"There is actually a big advantage in using digital clocks in exam rooms because it is much less easy to mistake a time on a digital clock."

Stephanie Keenan, head of English at Ruislip High School in north-west London, said her school had installed digital clocks in the exam hall after agreeing that many Year 9, 10 and 11 students could not tell the time on an analogue clock.

When students reached secondary school it was assumed they could read a clock, but this was often not the case, Trobe said.

Earlier this year, a senior paediatric doctor said children found it hard to hold pens and pencils because the increasing use of technology made them obsolete.

Sally Payne, a paediatric occupational therapist, said: "To be able to grip a pencil and move it, you need strong control of the fine muscles in your fingers."

Children are now not developing these necessary skills, she added.