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Original poster

Phones in school

135 replies

Bree82 · 26/03/2023 09:18

Ok don’t know if I’m being old fashioned or stupid here. And I get times are changing ie technology etc. So I understand using computers more in school and for homework.
but why are mobile phones allowed in high school?

it bothers me that kids think nothing of filming fights etc at school and passing it around etc
so many teens I know can’t even look up from phone to say hi and I don’t mind people using phone a lot - but why does it make some people so rude?!
how can we let kids have their phones but still behave respectful etc?
I get this is not every kid maybe just the ones I know and I wonder if the answer is having their phones less, or just helping them learn the balance …
also if there are any teachers who can let me know benefits of phones at school and if they agree or not? I would like to understand more. :)

OP posts:
GneissWork · 26/03/2023 21:30

Saltywalruss · 26/03/2023 21:14

Just because phones are "personal property" it doesn't mean that pupils should be allowed to bring anything to school!

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Just because they shouldn’t have the phone on them doesn’t mean the school has the right to take it off then and destroy it or expel the child for merely having an alarm go off during class 😂

If they get expelled for having a phone go off, what do we do if they smash a window? Firing squad? Drown them?

Hoppinggreen · 26/03/2023 21:34

When my DC arrive at school they go to their form room and all phones are placed in a locked cabinet. They are collected at the end of the day.
If a child needs to contact a parent they go to the school office.
Any child caught with a phone has it confiscated and they collect it at the end of the day. The second time onwards this happens (rare) the phone is only returned to a parent.
I fully support it

Spiderboy · 26/03/2023 22:04

VickyEadieofThigh · 26/03/2023 09:26

Yes, it's astonishing how many kids simply disappeared off the face of the earth on their way to and from school before mobiles were available.

Of course, every child needs one so they can call a parent if they're being abducted, or use it to fight off an assailant...

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Are you feeling extra sensitive today? 🙃 god forbid parents want to be responsible and keep and eye on their kids in this day and age

justasmalltownmum · 26/03/2023 22:06

You can't stop them.

BaileysBreakfast · 26/03/2023 22:25

Poster mentioning diabetes- I work in a school with v strict no phones policy but my diabetic student is allowed hers.

phones are locked in a yonder pouch at the start of the day and released at the end of the day. Divisional head detention if you forget your phone or pouch.

schools are so much better with phones locked away

Fairislefandango · 26/03/2023 22:25

It would be quite easy to ban mobile phones in school. If a pupil is seen or heard on their phone, take it off them and destroy it. If they refuse to hand it over, they're expelled on the spot, and removed from the premises, forcefully if necessary. No excuses, no exceptions, no appeals. Mobile phone use in school would drop to almost nil.

You can't surely be under the impression that schools have free rein to just decide to do things like this? They are neither allowed to destroy students' property nor expell students on the spot. Permanently excluding even one student is a long and cumbersome process which often fails. It baffles me when people just blithely say that schools 'should just' do x, y or z.

Stompythedinosaur · 27/03/2023 00:04

Florenz · 26/03/2023 13:33

It would be quite easy to ban mobile phones in school. If a pupil is seen or heard on their phone, take it off them and destroy it. If they refuse to hand it over, they're expelled on the spot, and removed from the premises, forcefully if necessary. No excuses, no exceptions, no appeals. Mobile phone use in school would drop to almost nil.

This is an amazing suggestion. Are you aware that teachers are no exempt from the requirement to follow the law? They clearly can't go around destroying hundreds of pounds of personal property.

I work with teens, and I guarantee a large number would opt for expulsion rather than hand over their phone. I'm not sure mass expulsions would be the huge success you are imagining.

meganorks · 27/03/2023 00:17

My daughter isn't allowed her phone in school. She has to keep it off in her locker. I assumed all schools were the same. But I recently found out her other 2 school options don't have lockers (which I find insane!) so that would make it a lot harder to police. I don't think they allow phones to be used still but if the kids have them on them at all times some will sneakily try and film or take pictures if something is happening.

Tlittle · 27/03/2023 00:37

I have never known them allowed in schools round here. Two of my kids are allowed them at school as type one diabetic and they have my life diabetic app on their phones. Only brought them as hospital asked me to. They have medical exception for the phones and it is in their care plans. Their friend told me they were jealous lol.
But yes in general I agree about the phones and keeping them off in high schools.

thing47 · 27/03/2023 16:34

Re. Type I diabetes, the use of the Libre for blood-sugar monitoring is highly encouraged by diabetes consultants and DSNs, and everyone who wants one is entitled to have one. The Libre is monitored by a phone app and alarms if sugars go too high or too low so having your phone on you at all times is essential. A blanket ban on phones which did not provide exemptions for DCs with Type I diabetes would be illegal under the terms of the 2010 Equality Act.

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