To wonder what the ban on smartphones across 17 schools in South London will acheive.

[ThatMother2024]

The Guardian reports that 17 schools are uniting to ban smartphones. I have no idea what this is expected to acheive, what the evidence base is and whether kids will just devise some easy workaround.

As opposed to working in a school with lots of teens

I don’t know. They seem to be pretty efficient with it, but it’s a special school.

There isn’t 1200 students heading in each day.

@ThatMother2024 well I don't work in an office. Never have.
Why do you assume that the people on this thread are office workers?

Sorry if it’s really unclear for you. For people like me who work in an office, we do not experience first hand the problems which teachers experience with phones at school. I hope this is clear now.

@ThatMother2024 I still think it's an odd comment. Why didn't you just say "people who don't work in schools" ?
Anyway...... that's going off topic a bit.

Maybe it’s just a local thing but our high school lunch works on an app. The canteen is all cashless now . The kids need the phone in school to pre order what they want then they need to show their order on their phone at the till to get the food.There must be a plan in place for kids who don’t have a phone but don’t know how that works . Also the google classroom teachers are posting updates on it all day .

What it will achieve is well documented.

What I don't get with kids is that they have the latest smartphone. Remember about a month after the iPhone 15 came out, there was a FB post on one of the Spotted groups that a mum was asking has anyone seen an iPhone between the Academy and street that they live.

About 18 years ago, I worked in a call centre where you put your money onto your works ID card - both cash and card, to pay for food and drink. Paying by ID card made things cheaper too. Some were even half price with the card.

As majority of schools the pupils wear a lanyard with ID card, they can use cards for similar purposes. As to pre order food for lunch, the school could have a link on their website and touchscreens at schools where pupils scan their cards and can preorder their food.

Our school don’t have lanyards with ID none of the schools in our area do . Sounds like a good idea though.

I’m a teacher we ban phones anyway. I think what they mean is no phone on the premises whereas at the moment they have them in their bags and the kids will always get them out in the loos or playground when you are t looking and sane in the class room. I think it’s a good idea- we’ve had a spare of bullying teachers - kids taking videos of teachers unbeknownst to them in the class, placing it on TikTok anonymously and writing horrible captions the same with student bullying others. Also there should be no need as if they need their parent or carer for anything important the school can ring them for them. I have atleast one kid every lesson sneakily looking at their phone- very obvious as they have their head down with hands below the table

Are the phones confiscated if they are seen using them in class or on the school premises?

Yes they are, taken to the finance office to be put in the safe then recorded then the parents have to collect it

Sounds good particularly when the parents have to make the time during the school day to come into school.

Yeh it’s much better than the old policy where the kids would just pick it up as then it’s not so much of an inconvenience.

Quite surprised about this. As been to various towns during school time and every pupil from high schools wore a lanyard with id card

I have never seen any kids with lanyards and I’ve lived in a few towns so my kids have been at different schools over the years . I really don’t think it’s a thing here at all. They need to wear blazers at all times but no lanyards .