To be annoyed by total phone ban

If it’s the school I’m thinking of they won’t care what parents think - an actual bomb went off on a tube where many children from this school were travelling, no one had phones, they briefly relaxed the rule and then tightened it again.

The schools did but if the kids lose it they have to buy a new one and they're £5 each. I assume the school gets them at a much cheaper rate when they bulk buy.

I completely agree with smart phones being banned but a basic Nokia/brick phone is reasonable as long as switched off and in bag at school.

Not sure where you lived or what era you are talking about but in the 70s and 80s there were pay phones everywhere in cities. If they were vandalised they were fixed as they made a lot of money.

Bloody phones and annoying children. Shouldn't you change your job then?

I agree. It’s also really difficult if children live in two houses and will be going to a different home after school than they left from in the morning.

I don't think they should be able to have them all day, but in my children's school they hand them in to their form tutor at registration and get them back at the end of the day. Makes total sense for getting home safely.

Keeping them off and in their bags doesn’t work

Works very well in many schools.

@SpidersAreShitheads

If something happened to a child on the way home and they were unable to contact their family for help, the school would be partially to blame. They're removing any way of the child being able to get help if needed. Their rules are draconian and excessive.

I would put in a complaint with the governors and highlight it as a safeguarding concern.

Absolutely this.

Why not go for you can have your phones at break time so the kids leave them alone in lessons as it was when I was at school.

School didn't get involved in anything on phones and it was part of the home student agreement that they wouldn't. Worked well and looking at the information for if our son goes to the same school they are expected to have a smart phone as all homework, time table etc is set on an app. An iPad is suggested aswell.

Time for my 2 pence worth.

Phones are an absolute nightmare for schools. Social media, messaging etc just creates carnage on a daily basis, especially in years 8 & 9.

However, if kids don’t have them, we’d be back to the notes and toilet posts that caused issues pre phones etc.

Parents want to know that they can contact their kids and see where they are. Fine.

Leaves schools stuck between a rock and a hard place as they are the ones that have to pick up all the pieces after incidents involving social media, even where it occur outside of normal school hours.

Whatever the rules a school brings in, they will be criticised because some parents won’t like it.

These looks good! Does the school pay for the pouches or do the students?

Or time travel to 1985?

We had phone boxes where you could make reverse calls ! I haven’t seen one in years.

And your point is? People also used to live without electricity, running water, cars and many other things that make society and life what it is now.

Like it or not, smartphones are pretty much essential these days (and, believe me, I was a late adopter and only got one when it was impossible to do my work effectively without it). And I would not be happy being unable to contact my child in case of emergency.

Yondr (overyondr.com)

OP our schools use these and they've been very successful. Maybe your school would consider them?

How strongly do the other parents feel about this? Can you come up with some sort of parents' rota where you each do a morning/afternoon a term gathering phones in named pouches into a box and handing them out again after school?

Can see a few issues with this one, but it's a potential solution.

I understand your concerns and other parents. I also understand schools are in really difficult situations because phone use has got out of hand. Keeping them off and in their bags doesn’t work as they’re too addicted to them so they creep into classrooms and the yard. This is why some schools are going to full bans. I don’t know what the answer is in all honesty! I’m a teacher.

Is a pager allowed?

I wouldn't be happy at all, DD in year 8 gets public transport home so no way would I want her without a phone.
Totally supportive of schools banning them during the school day but out of school hours it's up to the parents

Ha! Cross-posted - great minds and all that 😅

I think that's really overstepping their authority by the school.

The world is a different place today so all the comments about how people walked 10 miles home in the past, getting home 4 hours late but still never needing a phone are just missing the point.

We have the technology now to be able to reach our children when they're travelling alone, and there are many circumstances where this is really helpful. In extreme cases it may even be important for their safety.

If something happened to a child on the way home and they were unable to contact their family for help, the school would be partially to blame. They're removing any way of the child being able to get help if needed. Their rules are draconian and excessive.

I would put in a complaint with the governors and highlight it as a safeguarding concern. Emphasise the time lost to the random searches. The governors have to respond to complaints.

Also though, in the meantime, I'd get a cheap old phone and I'd hide it in a bread roll. As in, hollow out the roll and hide the phone inside. Then wrap it in silver foil. That should get past the metal detectors as the foil can be blamed for setting it off. If the teachers are at the point of ferreting around sandwich fillings to look for a hidden phone, they've definitely lost the plot! It's worth a try I reckon, even though I appreciate it's a bit bonkers 😅

This. Such a stupid idea to have no phones whatsoever. They should be able to give them in first thing and collect at end of day!

switch it off, wrap it in foil and put it in a sandwich box...

They managed because there were pay phones everywhere. There are very few nowadays so people need mobile phones.