To think that schools need to make their stance on smartphone usage clearer?

[PatButchersEarring]

My DD, year 9, attends a large village college.

Their policy is that phones need to be turned off in bags throughout the day. I completely agree. In fact, I don't think smartphones should be taken to school at all.

For this reason, we gave DD a phone with no Internet connectivity to message us if bus was late etc.

Except- this is now untenable as she is very regularly asked by teachers to use her phone during lesson time to access online learning platforms.

The school currently does not provide school issued Internet devices for this year group. We would be happy to pay for this if they did.

The school have also had massive safeguarding issues around internet usage in school.

Would it be unreasonable to ask that until such times as the school is able to provide school issued devices, teachers do not rely on students using online learning platforms during lessons?

Or, am I being unrealistic here?

YABU.

Schools are already overstretched. Things using phones in a teacher controlled environment can be massively helpful to learning. It's simple.

"Phones off in your bag, unless you're asked to use them by a teacher, and when that activity is done, they get turned off and put back in your bag"

If the school policy is that phones have to be off, I'm surprised they're asking students to use them in class.

Same happens in my child’s secondary school, phones should be kept turned off in bags but at least once a day a teacher will ask them to get them out to access something online.

I strongly believe there should be no grey area with phones in school. No phones out in school needs to be the rule. There is no ambiguity that way and no argument. “Your phone was out. It will now be confiscated for the rest of the day and your parent/guardian must come and collect it at the end of the day.”

Also, whilst you’ve chosen not to buy your daughter a smart phone, many parents simply can’t afford one (or one with unlimited data packages anyway) so it only emphasises the haves and have nots more publicly.

Plenty of interactive ways to teach without needing smartphones.

There is no funding for extra devices, I use them in GCSE lessons to access sites like kahoot or our online revision folders. A class set of iPads would be lovely but it’s not going to happen

If a device is needed for lessons, then the parents need to be informed and have devices available for those who cannot afford one.

My daughter doesn't take her phone to school. She has no need for it. (We live 5 minutes walk away!)

We had this in Latin America, pupils told off for having a phone and then the same teacher tells them to Google xyz for subject matter.

Our school confiscates the phone for 5 days in caught in corridors. If teachers say kids can use it in class then it’s class only, not corridors.

As a former teacher I really think schools operate so much better in every single way if smartphones are not allowed in lessons. I don't really understand why they need to access online learning platforms in the lesson and this just tempts them to check their social media at the same time and allows bullying to happen.

That's nuts. No way would my DC schools ever require them to use a phone in class. Apart from potentially creating issues around usage, it's also an equality issue (not all kids have phones, not all phones are smartphones)

Primary school children definitely shouldn't have smartphones, and suitable devices should be required for online learning (eg both my older DC are in 'iPad schools' where they are required to purchase an iPad through a specific company (so that it's set up for school use only). This is a cost to parents & is challenging but we are made aware of this ahead of time & there are loans that can be taken out.

I don't think it should be unrealistic to expect the school to be consistent on this, and I agree that it is unrealistic for the school to expect all students to have devices which can access the internet and it's a major issue for several reasons if teachers are relying on this; however, with the squeeze in budgets, I can see why it's happening.

You’re not unreasonable. Our school has a blanket phones off and in bags policy, and they therefore don’t ask them to use them at all during the school day. They do use online learning platforms, but for homework. Loads of them for homework. But not in the classroom, ever. They don’t have loads of class iPads etc - they just teach without them. Unless they’re in the IT suite or something.

YABU. Although I appreciate that teachers are in a tough spot re classroom resources.

Sorry, I meant YANBU! 😳

Our school is phones must be off & in bags - if they are seen or heard then they are confiscated until the end of the day. However, they are directed to use them in some lessons, but only for that lessons and put away when the teacher says.

Works well for us here & I don't know any child at secondary school that doesn't have a smart phone.

All homework is set online too so they all do need some sort of access.