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.

And the international solution is to not allow phones in schools. Because this is a better solution than allowing kids to still be able to phone each other. They don't need to be able to phone people when they're in school.

Yes of course they do. All the time.

I'd be very suspicious about stats and data on this, who designs the data collection, how its interpreted and why. Nor is it necessary, anyone with eyes and a brain can see that smartphones are as harmful as lead paint to children and young peoole, anyone who argues the contrary is just full of cope.

I'm assuming it will stop most kids from sitting in class on their phones. Should have been banned a long time ago.

@Maray1967 we didn't have phones, but we had phone boxes on every corner. People out and about who were willing to get involved. Police out and about etc. Your son might not need one, with a ten minute walk, but fir others they are useful.

If those girls getting sexually harassed in knowsley by the asylum seekers couldn't have filmed them, it would still be an issue. Or we'd have grooming going on. The ability to film and take pictures can safeguard children against adults.

I hope they make sure they measure and record what happens properly so it's success or failure can inform future policy. A big missed opportunity otherwise.

Yes, I accept that a male child with a short walk home is less at risk, but having phones can also be a risk. A friend of ours had to deal with an assault on his son and his mate and theft of their phones because despite parental warnings they were using them openly on the walk home.

New DfE guidance about this so I expect most schools are updating their policies. It’s a good thing in my opinion

Your point absolutely emphasises why phones should be banned from schools. Schools have to challenge because of the sheer volume of issues that arise from their usage. Your DC is a casualty of this. Develop a system where only those with genuine need have them and there would be no need for the challenge.

Or the teachers concerned can do their jobs properly and know which kids have serious medical conditions? I mean, if you actually think a bit, imagine sending your child to school everyday with a condition that if misunderstood, or ignored, or response is delayed, your child could become seriously ill or worse? Wouldn't you expect staff to have a bit of a clue? Now have staff demand the removal of the device that is monitoring the condition, or better still, have one demand your child puts in insulin when they're hypo (happened more than once...!).

I teach. I know the pressures of the job. I know this is a huge additional pressure. But my child's life quite literally depends on staff knowing what to do. Funnily enough, I feel happier that now he in a school with a type 1 teacher - less margin for stupid errors when he's around.

notbelieved 1200 kids in my school. I can't possibly know from the off the medical conditions of each student. It takes time. I would probably challenge your DC but it would only be once and I'm pretty sure for most staff that would be the same. However, my point stands. If there are no phones on site then this removes any ambiguity and would certainly enhance the safety of your DC.

@Noonelikesasloppytrifle if there's no phones allowed how can that make the "safety" of a child who is monitoring their diabetes better?
Because they can't have their phone?

Ive taught kids with type 1 who need a phone for reasons already explained. Even in our massive school it’s only a handful each year group so it is easy to put a small dot on the seating plan to indicate that they need their phone whilst the rest of the class don’t.

Because only those with a medical need can have a phone. Therefore if that child has a phone they need it and there is no need to challenge.

And walking around the corridors?

@Noonelikesasloppytrifle yes but you said it's impossible to know the medical details of 2000 kids. So if you see one with a phone how do you know they are using it as a medical device? Do you just accept their word for it?
Surely any child could just say their phone is being used as a medical device.

Exactly - that's my point. 99% of students won't need a phone for medical reasons so they don't have them on site.

@Noonelikesasloppytrifle so if you see a child with a phone you just assume it's for medical reasons?
Would you then stop and ask them? Surely that's time consuming? Any child could say it is.

But if the numbers are that small then it would be very unusual.
At the moment I challenge at least 50 students a day. Now that's time consuming.

Nah, kids need to learn to be bored without reaching for a phone or tablet to fill their time.
I think you should read Anxious Generation!

Does this not make the process of arriving at/leaving school really slow?

Agreed.

The answers here are a revelation when you work in an office and don’t encounter a huge bunch of teens every day.

@ThatMother2024 what's "working in an office" got to do with it?

Kids that are less addicted to phones and can actually concentrate.

The whole point is it will empower a generation of parents to actually not give a smartphone at all until older- fantastic.

In an ideal world they'd just have a phone for emergency calls etc until 16+.