To be annoyed by total phone ban

That's on them if they don't drink much. Can't blame the school.

Because a lot of kids just end up not drinking which is I suppose the opposite of the 'healthy we just allow water' rule. A little flavour goes a long way.

How does allowing children to drink water lead to dehydration?

Maybe tell the school that you are concerned about the safety of your child, going to and from school, and if they can keep their phone in reception during school hours, then give it back at the end of the day. So that you and your child are able to keep in touch, during the journey to and from school.

You’re just going to have to get over it. That’s the school rules. They’re fed up of parents excuses as to why their child should be exempt.

All your excuses as to why you won’t move your child, surely their safety is the most important thing. Not that worried really are you? Just easier to moan about the school.

and children had Blackberries, really? In the end instead of 15 years make it 25 the point still stands.

To an extent, people need mobile phones more these days, and people are more reliant on them, with some things needing apps now. (And there being fewer payphones.) But to act like this woman who I know did - whilst not having her phone for 2.5 days - was insane. She was hysterical. Not sleeping, not able to concentrate on her job (phoned in sick for 2 days!) and just lost it.

And I still believe that children do not not need mobile phones. That's a hill I will die on.

I think everyone is dependent on technology because that is how everything works nowadays. There are no pay phones, not many bank branches or other ways of communicating. Home landline phones will only be accessible via the internet soon.

Phones have become part of us, and as a teacher I don't have any issues with them. As long as they turned off and in bags or pockets, fine. Unfortunately it's the minority who spoil it for others, the ones who video teachers, other students, sneak them out in lessons or use them to disrupt lessons by playing sounds like farting noises or swear phrases. Tutors taking them and giving back at end of the day is an option but quite a logistical pita! Most schools deal with this by have zero tolerance of anyone having them out, which generally works. X

This in spades, except I would say 20-22 years ago, not 15. ^ Many people - including CHILDREN - don't seem to be able to get through a single hour without their bloody phone. A woman I know (aged 30) had her phone die on her a few months ago, and she completely lost her mind. She was hysterical. Ranting and crying, and saying her bank is on there, concert tickets are on there, whatsapp groups, emails - all sorts.

She was on the verge of a breakdown because she was without her phone for two and a half DAYS. It packed up on a Tuesday evening and she got a replacement with the same number by the Friday morning. Yet you'd think someone had stolen a kidney from her!

It's ludicrous how some people are totally dependent on mobile phones. As I said, even children demand them now, and also, their ranty parents demand their children have them. It's batshit.

Children have coped with 11-13 years of school, (and college and uni on top,) for 100s of years, without having their own phone at school/college... Yet now people throw a massive tantrum if their precious child can't have their phone at school. (And so do the children sometimes!)

It's pathetic! Children do not NEED a fucking mobile phone in school. Indeed, children (under 16 anyway,) don't need a mobile phone at all.

@INeedToClingToSomething Agree 100%!

This. This “need” for a phone is ridiculous. My DS is only 25 and when he was at secondary not all children had phones and my DS wasn’t allowed to take his to school. He only had one from about age 13/14. This was very recently. Children do not need phones. This so-called “need” has sprung up in the last few years. What has changed in that time that means children need a phone? Nothing, other than a further move towards helicopter parenting children and way too much emphasis on “safety”. None of this is doing our children any favours. We are seeing a huge increase in mental health conditions in our young people and if left unchecked will only get worse.

I fully support smart phone bans for under 16s. If I’d known what I know now my DS would never have had one at 13/14. Giving smart phones to 10 year olds is frankly horrifying.

if a child needs to work a problem out themselves when travelling to and from school that’s a good thing. It will mean they gain problem-solving skills and confidence that they can sort out issues themselves without calling a parent or other adult. We need to give our children more independence and freedom and more confidence that they can cope without mummy and daddy standing over them or a call away to sort everything out for them.

That's not true at all, I had a phone when I went to secondary school in 2001. It was a brick phone but we definitely had them! 15 years ago was 2009, of course kids had phones then, blackberry was the in thing then.

Only fifteen years ago no children would have had phones and yet life went on, they went to school, came home, and all was fine.

Bag with large metal buckle hiding a small pouch (containing for eg Zanco Tiny T1).

Draconian school rules need imaginative work arounds.

The 2 school rules I hate (together with most kids & staff in my experience) are

1. Total ban on mobiles
2. Kids can only drink water

Results are unsafe travel to/from school & quite a number of dehydrated kids.

Good Luck

PS You could get a petition up and harass the school governors if inclined....but this takes time & patience

😂

So what happened if they took their phone out of their pocket? At DDs' school they got a detention if they had their phone out at any time on the premises. They had that policy from the moment they started school and it worked.

needs one of those tiny prison phones you can keep up your bum!

Their are locker companies that will install them and charge the children directly on a school year basis no doubt, just like 'regular' school lockers in school. School would just need to make space available for them.

My DD school has a sensible phone policy. Phones are switched off and unseen. If seen it gets bagged if they have a certain number of bags confiscated parents has to collect.

In year 6 only those in year 6 in primary were allowed and handed them in each day. They were walking alone if parents permitted. Phones are essential for safety and independence.

DS in special ed, goes by school. Transport from home. 14 and does not have own phone as no need

@NotQuiteHere No I’m very happy in my job, thanks for your concern.

I see on a weekly basis the devastating impact that phones have on kids. We tried letting them have their phones as long as they stayed in their pockets, it didn’t work. We tried, letting them have their phones in the breaks, that didn’t work either. The kids I see don’t seem able to regulate their use. It’s all or nothing and that’s why we’ve had to implement the nothing.

The casual bullying, the secret photo or film taking, inappropriate content and the bloody memes.

Parents don’t seem to understand that when you are responsible for 30 kids, it only takes one or two to disrupt a whole activity with their phone use. Don’t get me started on the supposed adults, I can not tell you how many times I have had to remind teachers, parents etc that they can’t use their phones during a theatre performance. Mindlessly scrolling, trying to take photos or videos and even bloody face timing.

It’s not just your kid, it’s the impact it has on a group’s dynamic and how things can turn with a few clicks from being benign to a safeguarding issue.

Not all children will have physical bus passes though? Mine bought a weekly ticket (digital) or a bundle of 20 tickets (digital) both were a saving over the pay on the bus price.
Why should parents pay more just because school won’t let them have a phone in their own time.

I can't help feeling that this is a rule designed to make teachers lives slightly easier with no thought or care for the safety of children travelling to and from school. I'm glad my dds' school did not do this. They just had a very strict policy that if any phone was out of the bag or rang, instant detention. They were strict in enforcing it from year 7. Seemed to work. I suspect it doesn't work when they try to enforce a policy after previously not being strict.

@Seeline that's another very good point. And most employers wouldn't mind a member of staff answering the phone knowing it was their child.

Phones are such an intergal part of life and have been for at least 20-25 years.

I once reported a phone stolen, and gave my mum's house number to the police. They phoned mum they told her nothing to worry about but her phones been stolen....then asked does she have a mobile number?

All these hoops to avoid kids using phones are ridiculous. Expensive pouches, non-existent pay phones, etc.

How would School afford to replace phones that had been stolen or damaged while in School custody or how would they make sure to avoid handing wrong phone to wrong child if the "phones are handed in at start of day" What a collosal stupid waste of staff time.