To be annoyed by total phone ban

Obviously a different scenario.

Calling only with no internet phones need to make a comeback. And they WiFi enabled phones with apps etc need to be banned for under 16s.

My dgs is a type one diabetic. He needs his phone to check his blood and to sync with his libre. What about kids in that scenario?

Surely that’s a safeguarding issue for those who make their own way home ? They should at least say phones can come in but will be left in reception and collected at the end of the day ! Can you maybe ask about this ?

Do all schools have lockers for the kids these days?

I think most don't.

Do all schools have lockers for the kids these days?

I would agree with you but I guess if it were a locker the kids could access during the school day they'd just be able to get it back out again at the first break and keep it in a pocket to be distracted by in lessons. Whereas if there was a bank of phone lockers in reception or their home classrooms or whatever it would be easier to have a blanket "Nobody goes in these lockers until 3pm" rule.

I get that it would be an expense when schools have no budget for anything, but I'm mildly surprised that schools who have no phones rules and go as far as scanners/bag searches on the way in don't also have small lockers suitable for a mobile phone to live in happily through the school day. It doesn't take a genius to know that children have legitimate reasons to have a mobile phone for their journeys to and from school, and requiring a parent to collect it is SUCH a waste of everybody's time.

I think if schools insist on no phones in school, even if they're turned off and in bags, then they need to provide phone lockers at the entrance. LIke many schools have for teachers have in staff rooms.

havent read the thread but surely the sensible thing to do would be to put phone in locker so it cant be found in the bag during the day and then just take it out at the end of school?

It’s crazy stupid. You cannot uninvent the wheel!
There are some children near here where the school bus picks them up and drops them off after school at the end of a 1 mile road they have to walk to get to and from home. Phones are very useful and a safety item for children.

Obviously not to be used in school hours but for travel, essential I’d say.

Yes we managed without a lot of modern technology. We also recognised that when mobile phones became the norm they were flipping handy for being able to help a child if they need it during their commute to and from school, especially if it was a long journey or with multiple legs, like the OP's son's is.

and my mum wouldn't have had kittens when I went to an after school sporting event and it didn't occur to me to find a phone box to ring and tell her I would be late home

Phones are technically banned in dds school, but they don't check their bags and have always turned a blind eye to them as long as they are kept out of sight/sound. However recently there have been a few incidences were students have filmed others (innocent group stuff nothing creepy) and have posted them on SM so the school have had to double down. If you bring in your phone you hand it over at assembly and collect it after school. Must be a right nuisance for the teacher assigned to collecting them and being responsible for keeping them safe (some of the would cost £££££ to replace) but i am sure parents will hold the school responsible for anything is posted during school hours. Schools really are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Do people not read the full thread? A brick/dumb phone, a pager or an air tag won't be any use for a child that needs to access an online bus/train ticket.

Yes I grew up without a mobile.
But now there's the choice I'm very grateful that my dd could phone me when a man in the park was making her feel uncomfortable, or when all the trains are cancelled because of a suicide on the tracks, or whatever.
When they're out of school, they're out of school, and then it's MY rules, and I'd be telling the school that.

Not if their train is cancelled half way home
Or their bike has a puncture
Or they are taken I'll on the way home....

I'm pretty sure kids don't learn at school how to use mobile phones to take photos!

It's all such a pain. Schools don't want to be old-fashioned and anti-tech, but phones cause such a lot of (sometimes very serious) problems in school. On balance I think putting them in lockers on arrival is the best idea, but even that is far from foolproof. Some kids will just claim not to have brought a phone in. Others will bring an old phone and just hand that one over to be locked up, while their proper one is still in their bag.

Edit: quoted wrong post and can't seem to change it!

When DS was at school we didn't have mobile phones and nobody died. I worked full time and arranged to call him on the house phone when he got home. If he wasn't home I'd ring the school.
I think the only thing that has changed is that nobody can cope without being glued to a phone. I have a mobile and a computer and they are very useful but if it all disappeared tomorrow I wouldn't care.
I'd be more concerned about my child being bullied or groomed via their phone or committing suicide because someone took nude photos of them and passed them around.

And how did we cope before automatic washing machines, electric cars and all sorts of other modern inventions. The world has evolved. There are no public phone boxes or very few and multiple transport strikes. Children need to be safe. Your comment is rude and condescending.

As someone who comes into contact with children regularly and their bloody phones, I think a phone ban is unfortunately necessary. If phones had been left in bags and on silent, then a total ban wouldn’t be necessary.

I don’t think parents really understand how bloody distracting and disruptive phones are. Phone’s have brought bullying to a whole new level.

I survived my school years without a phone. I was either at school, or on the way to and from school or at a activity/ friends that was prearranged.

An important aspect of adolescent life is learning to navigate and take decisions for yourself. And for parents of adolescents to mange their own anxiety.

I saw a pay phone that was still a pay phone for the first time in about 10 years last week. It was in a village that is a complete phone and internet black spot.

Even short journeys can be problematic. We were a 15 minute walk from school and 15 years ago my sister was being stalked by another pupil. One day he followed her home. She had a brick phone on her and she was able to call me to meet her and then the police. As the 999 call came from her number that has a flag on it due to her risk they responded very quickly. I wouldn't trust the school to give her dispensation as they were in denial that the boy was doing any wrong. She had only recently been given a phone and my parents were very relieved that she had it that day

I will do my best to help any one that needs it and often offer if I see someone in distress but I have one rule and that is I absolutely do not let anyone use my phone. There are so many scams that start by having access to your phone. So not a chance will I be handing my phone over to a child to use also I don't personally answer my phone if it is an number I don't recognise and my partner is the same. A big scam on WhatsApp is the "hi mum" scam where a scammer claims to be your child and without their phone I need you to message me through this number now etc.

Not sure calculators have ever helped cause suicide

They’ve removed all the local pay phones where I live. I wouldn’t know where I could make a call tbh. I’d be really unimpressed if my kids schools banned phones.

You've witnessed them in a brief window of their 3 hour round commute which they fit around a full school day. It's hardly the full picture. It's possible to learn how to navigate cities without 3 hours travel per day.

I home educate for these types of reasons

schools don’t have choice nowadays…