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Original poster

Teachers should ban the use of smart phones in school

144 replies

viridus · 10/12/2016 12:00

Schools are so hypocritical, they say that phones are only used at lunchtimes, but allow them to be used in class.
Education is becoming corrupt and education and fairness has gone. Children who have cheap phones see this and are ridiculed. Teachers stand by allowing these things to happen. After all, it is also them who allow bullying to continue too.

OP posts:
Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 14:31

multivac: Why would I like to work in your school? Sorry, you've lost me.

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 14:31

*wouldn't

multivac · 10/12/2016 14:32

I find the different policies schools have around phones really interesting; I suspect that the most important aspect, really, is consistency in enforcing whatever policy they decide on.

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 14:33

multivac: I fail to see what is hilarious about saying that if kids don't have their phones with them they can't use them to bully other kids.

dingdongthewitchishere · 10/12/2016 14:33

booklooker

Grin Oh meow!

My dear, maybe you should work on your writing skills to make it easier for other with a lesser brain to understand you online Grin
No you haven't made it clear, apart from mentioning the weight of their bags. Again, I can understand accessing a replacement copy on a tablet, but not on the tiny screen of a smartphone.

If you are worried about back problems, maybe encouraging them to sit down all day is not a great idea either.

multivac · 10/12/2016 14:34

You didn't say that. You said 'the fewer phones, the fewer death threats'. Which, in isolation, is very funny (because it's silly).

dingdongthewitchishere · 10/12/2016 14:36

I allowed a Year 11 girl in a revision session to phone her mum to organise collecting her, handy as mum wanted to talk to me about an issue her son (he's in my form) was having in another lesson. Saved me time and reassured mum.

ConfusedIt sounds like a well spent and efficient session if you spent most of it on the phone. Exactly my point about mobile phone.

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 14:37

multivac: I don't think that's different. If kids are using phones to send death threats and you take away the phones, it is no longer an issue in school to the same extent. They have fewer opportunities to bully each other whilst tempers are running high and when they get home their supervision is the responsibility of their parents. Perfectly sensible.

RichardBucket · 10/12/2016 14:37

The benefits given in this thread are really weak. A school-issued tablet with restricted apps, sure. A phone? No.

thesnailandthewhale · 10/12/2016 14:38

We had a student who repeatedly flouted the school mobile phone policy (amongst other things). At a meeting with parents it was agreed that she would hand her phone in to the office each morning and collect at the end of the day. Parents were happy with this ... A couple of weeks down the line they were caught using their phone in the lesson - Student had handed in her phone in the morning but Mum had agreed to lend her her phone to use during the day. If parents supported the schools it would be much easier to implement the policy Wink

aquabluepool · 10/12/2016 14:39

I wish schools would just let the children have them to be honest. Saves so many rows.

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 14:42

aquabluepool: saves rows for whom? The kids? The parents? The teachers?

The number of students presenting with serious social anxiety has rocketed since the smart phone became standard for under 16s. Can you imagine having spent your own teenage years being scrutinised, photographed and filmed in the way teenagers are now? I'm not surprised they're anxious when they can't move for a camera or comment feed.

multivac · 10/12/2016 14:43

They have fewer opportunities to bully each other whilst tempers are running high and when they get home their supervision is the responsibility of their parents.

This is one of the reasons why I don't think you'd like to work in my kids' school; they are as concerned with what happens at home, as they are with what happens in the classroom, and see teaching the children about making responsible decisions - including regarding phone use, and even, to a certain extent, which lessons they attend - as an important part of their job. Just banning/confiscating stuff teaches them nothing.

aquabluepool · 10/12/2016 14:44

Everybody. We used to allow them at school and it caused hardly any problems - just please put your phone away. Bam new headteacher - phones are now banned and it's so annoying!

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 14:47

multivac: Of course what happens at home can be linked to what happens at school. But parents should be supervising and teachers should be able to spend their time teaching. It is better if these issues don't come up to begin with. Nothing to stop us teaching them ethics without the phones.

amispartacus · 10/12/2016 14:48

We used to allow them at school and it caused hardly any problems - just please put your phone away

No one texting? No one playing games? No updating social media?

Technology is great. It should be used.

amispartacus · 10/12/2016 14:48

Bam new headteacher - phones are now banned and it's so annoying

Why? What impact has it had on learning?

aquabluepool · 10/12/2016 14:51

Ami, no tbh. I think because it wasn't a novelty. They would have them on the desks, check the time, but anyone texting would be dealt with but it was the action not the phone itself.

Now you have to confiscate if and they often refuse so call for senior management who take ages to come and in that time the phone is smuggled to a mate and you don't know where it is so when management turn up and you say Lewis was refusing to hand his phone ove Lewis then opens his mouth wide and says what? What phone? I wasn't on my phone was I James? Was I Rhys? Ask anyone! I wasn't on my phone!

amispartacus · 10/12/2016 14:53

Ask anyone! I wasn't on my phone

Lack of respect for authority. Wouldn't happen in China.

aquabluepool · 10/12/2016 14:54

No but we're not in China lol

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 15:02

aquabluepool: No, we're not in China. But the telling thing for me is that the students in your school clearly believe they are entitled to use their phones m. As long as you are allowing this you get respect. When you disallow it the respect clearly goes out of the window because it is conditional on you letting them do what they want.

The new Head has it right.

booklooker · 10/12/2016 15:02

My dear, maybe you should work on your writing skills to make it easier for other with a lesser brain to understand you online

Maybe you need to work on your comprehension skills

This means that they do not have to carry around a huge bag of books that weigh a ton (possibly causing long term back problems), and also that they never claim to have 'forgotten' their book

Was that a bit tricky for you?

multivac · 10/12/2016 15:03

You can teach how you like, trifle. I'm more than happy, though, with the education my kids are getting - technology 'n' all.

aquabluepool · 10/12/2016 15:04

You're welcome to app,y for a job here then trifle but the unfortunate fact is, the old system worked, the new one is awful!

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 15:04

multivac: There is really no need to be defensive. I wasn't criticising you. I was suggesting that the only way to know the answer to this question of phones is to conduct proper research.