To wish schools would ban smartphones

Grenoside · 10/02/2023 17:35

My children are adults now but were never allowed phones out in school, a state comp. They had to be away and on silent during the school day.

Testng123 · 10/02/2023 17:37

No phones allowed in my dc's school. They can bring them for before and after school for arranging lifts etc, but must be off and in locker during school hours. It's great

Maireas · 10/02/2023 17:37

Parents allow their children to have them.
We ban them in the classroom, but they use them at break and lunch.

Nimbostratus100 · 10/02/2023 17:37

Ive worked in schools where they are banned and schools where they are not.

Sorry, but banning just does not work

students are required to do so much online, and there is no way the school can provide IT so we need students to bring in phones, It is a huge inconvenience when we have the odd child in the class without a phone

blackheartsgirl · 10/02/2023 17:38

No phones allowed in school at my dds school, have to switched off and put in bag. Any pupil caught using them is punished

(they still do though, they’re just careful not to get caught)

StephanieSuperpowers · 10/02/2023 17:39

I agree with you, OP. Smartphones seem to me to create new and horrible avenues for bullying and distraction.

ChocMarshmallows · 10/02/2023 17:39

My son takes his smart phone to school as he walks on his own to and from school and I like him to have his phone. He's 11. He sometimes plays games or WhatsApps with his friends after school which he enjoys. He has it in his bag on silent for the whole school day. Don't see an issue really.

blackheartsgirl · 10/02/2023 17:39

and plus they’re expected to do a lot of their homework on line at home so a smartphone is a must. Not everyone has a pc or laptop at home

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 10/02/2023 17:39

That genie is out of the bottle now im
afraid.

Ihatepcos · 10/02/2023 17:41

I don't know a single school that allows them to use phones. As far as I'm aware they are in a constant battle to keep phones away and constantly having to confiscate them etc.

It should be the parents who make them leave the phones at home.

Marblessolveeverything · 10/02/2023 17:42

School don't allow them during school time but you can't make schools police before and after school.

And that decision is up to individual parents.

InsufficientMum · 10/02/2023 17:44

@Nimbostratus100 are all the pupils allowed on the school wifi then or do they expect them to have a large data package?

Floofyduffypuddy · 10/02/2023 17:47

I do voluntary work in schools and if parents could see what I see I think we would all be calling for a ban in class full stop.

It's insane, pupils literally watching stuff, chatting taking photos and the teacher does nt see that because... They are teaching. It's a free for all.
I mentioned it or used and was told "they are not allowed their phones out in lessons tell them to put it away if you see it".

I used to tell them but moments later they are out again.
. I went to the head in one very poor school and again I was told "but they aren't allowed phones out" I couidnt get any further so I just ignore it now.

Our children are addicted to their phones. Classes should be a totally phone free space.

I've worked in schools with a will to do that and the pupils do it and are absolutely fine.

rainuntilseptember · 10/02/2023 17:48

Wouldn't it be easier if parents didn't buy them the phone, rather than expecting schools to impose a ban?

Oblomov23 · 10/02/2023 17:48

Disagree. What damage do you think a Smartphone does. If a child has inner confidence and understands the pros and cons of SM then they will be ok. And they will learn, easily and some lessons not do easily. But that's all part of the learning process. SM doesn't do me any damage. Does it damage you as an adult?

JemimaTiggywinkles · 10/02/2023 17:50

We ban them. Students can hand them in or have them switched off in a bag. Anyone caught with a phone has the phone confiscated for 48 hours and a parent has to collect it. I haven't seen a phone in class since the policy was brought in, and not seen one in the corridors since about a week after the new policy. Online bullying has massively dropped to.

HelicopterHeights · 10/02/2023 17:50

Surely it is the parents' responsibility to ensure if their children have a smart phone they use it responsibly?

TeamadIshbel · 10/02/2023 17:51

Sotiredofallthisnonsense · 10/02/2023 17:34

Aibu to think that its the very least schools should be doing so that schools and parents can work together to minimise the harm that smartphones cause - which imo far outweigh any benefits. By allowing smartphones even in the classroom, schools are the largest contributer to the peer pressure to have one. Am I in a minority of parents who wish schools didn't permit smartphones?

I agree.
Parents need to enforce this though and unfortunately this is so out of the range of scope for many parents.

Many parents absolve practically all responsibility to schools and the staff in them. Which is really so odd considering DC spend 15% of their time at school!!!!

whatanoddthingtoask · 10/02/2023 17:52

My dd has an exemption as her school banned phones and smart watches but she needs both to manage her medical conditions. The other pupils are constantly having a go at her she has to explain about 5/6 times a day why she’s allowed it

Courgettecity · 10/02/2023 17:53

My kids school doesn't allow phones. It's so much better than their mates who go to a different school. Watching a hockey match yesterday, the other team subs were all on their phones ignoring the match, my kids team subs were all fully engaged in the match and shouting encouragement. They don't allow them out in breaks either.

shard5 · 10/02/2023 17:54

At my son's school phones have to be handed in at reception and collected at hometime.
At dds school no smartphones allowed either, if the kids need to bring in a phone to contact parents at drop off or pick up a non smart phone has to be handed in at start of day again they can only have it back on the way out at hometime

juliettesmother · 10/02/2023 17:54

My school is zero phones and smart watches too. It's a small school, so relatively easy to manage.

Johnnysgirl · 10/02/2023 17:56

Sotiredofallthisnonsense · 10/02/2023 17:34

Aibu to think that its the very least schools should be doing so that schools and parents can work together to minimise the harm that smartphones cause - which imo far outweigh any benefits. By allowing smartphones even in the classroom, schools are the largest contributer to the peer pressure to have one. Am I in a minority of parents who wish schools didn't permit smartphones?

Lots of schools do. My kid's schools (two different ones) included.

luckylavender · 10/02/2023 17:56

Sotiredofallthisnonsense · 10/02/2023 17:34

Aibu to think that its the very least schools should be doing so that schools and parents can work together to minimise the harm that smartphones cause - which imo far outweigh any benefits. By allowing smartphones even in the classroom, schools are the largest contributer to the peer pressure to have one. Am I in a minority of parents who wish schools didn't permit smartphones?

I think that you are trying to abdicate responsibility here. You need to parent. Teachers have enough to do.

Pastorswife · 10/02/2023 18:01

Phones are banned at the school that I teach in, and I love it that way. Students still have phones of course, but you don’t see them unless they sneak into the bathroom to use them. Never in lessons and we have a strict confiscation policy that is enforced and supported from the Head of School right down to the janitor (who has been known to confiscate phones!).

My friend has a 13 year old DS without a phone, and the school he attends asked her to buy him a phone for ‘learning and classroom activities’. If a school asked me to do that for my kids, I’d enrol them in a different school. The classroom is no place for a phone, this is a hill I will die on.