To think in a phone free school students need to have access to other devices in this day and age?

[caniquitwork]

New guidance very strong on no phones at all in schools, but in my daughter’s school they have not got other devices to use, neither personal nor provided by the school- and so many lesson activities nowadays rely on use of technology. How does it work at schools you know?

Teachers can teach perfectly well without the students being on devices.

And if they really need one for something then hopefully some class set will be available. (Though I know budget constraints means that isn’t always possible).

I would expect schools to provide any tech that is needed, and for a lot of lessons they can do activities which do not rely on the children having individual devices.
Are you saying that at your daughter’s school they have no computers/laptops at all?

Ipads - very locked down by the school, but it means DD can email me during the day if she needs to change arrangements for after school etc.

This is why loads of schools have laptop/Chromebook/tablet banks

And even if the school had zero tech for kids, so what?

Of course the school will provide technology if it’s required as part of the learning. Do you think schools implement these rules just to be cruel?

Ds is in year 11 and doesn’t use his mobile phone at all. When in school they provide any technology needed and it’s never been an issue.

As important as technology undoubtedly is we don’t want children thinking it’s the only way to do things!

I teach in a school where students aren't allowed phones out and in lessons other than Computing/ graphic design etc they use.... exercise books and pens in lessons. Why wouldn't they?! Exams are hand written, so students need to build the resilience to cope with extended writing.

I'm not saying that is the ONLY way to teach, or that technology had no place in schools, but students can certainly get an excellent education without devices

My son's grammar school is the same. Computers provided in specific lessons but mostly it's pen and paper. He uses a laptop at home for research and homework is set on apps.

I don’t have secondary age children yet but the opposite idea that they may need their own mobile phones for school
work, is surely the bigger issue? If that’s true what has the world come
to?

Erm... the same way we did as kids? I'm 38 and only got a basic phone at 14, so fully remember learning without phone. Schools have laptops, chrome books and this reslly new exciting thing... books! Textbooks! And kids can learn ti write with a fancy thing called a pen 😄 🤣 to prepare for their handwritten exams.

Honestly, the obsession with phones is unhealthy, disruptive and causes more harm than good in a school! Kids should be focused on learning and socialising face to face in school- no need for a phone to do either!

No, Yabu. No child needs a device.

No wonder it’s impossible for schools when you have parents like this.

Are you saying that in your daughter's school lessons are grinding to a halt because they've not got access to the resources they need now mobile phones aren't allowed?

If that's the case then that's really concerning - and it's not the mobile phone ban that's the issue..

Speaking as a secondary teacher, I'd actually love to be able to use more technology in class. We're a large comprehensive and we have a couple if IT rooms, but the computers are slow and often have connection issues; plus the rooms are usually reserved for classes with coursework so you don't get a chance to use them. With KS5 I build their phones into my lesson and we can do Kahoot quizzes, Blooket, research lessons etc., I'd love to do the same at KS4. Unfortunately, the world is what it is. Anytime where we've trialled allowing students to use a phone for learning in class it has led to issues; students taking photos/videos of each other, sending hurtful messages or taking photos of staff and then turning it into a hurtful tiktok video.

To be fair I don’t think even schools with a more laid back approach to phones (sadly few and far between) allow them to be part of lessons, unless it’s briefly to take a picture of a homework or something.

It’s compulsory to rent a laptop - all the kids have the same device (which is insured,school provide IT support etc). They can take photos on the device (eg of experiments) and send email - which is strictly monitored - but dc can email me to tell me, eg, hockey training cancelled so need 4pm pick up not 5.30pm

DS's school issues everything out on apps that are designed for smart phones (the apps are glitchy on computers. Weird layouts etc)

They even need their phones to check their timetable!

So they'll need to start handing books & planners again...

(I think a phone ban is great!)

The only "device" a child needs in my lessons is a pen. We don't allow phones in school.

On a related note, I was talking to my 15 year old nephew yesterday who loves chess. He said he plays on his phone every day, but much prefers to play on a board because there are too many distractions on his phone and he can’t focus as well.

My first thought was that must have an impact on his homework which is almost exclusively on his phone. How do they concentrate when they’re getting notifications every 30 seconds?

Our secondary has introduced iPads for the last couple of years. I believe before this they did ask students to use their personal mobile phones for a variety of learning based tasks.

We are holding off on a smartphone for DC, and we've never had an iPad or tablet in the house before. I'm already annoyed at how addicted DC is to the ipad, constantly looking up football results or playing crappy browser games, but at least it means they don't need their own phones at school.

Phones are banned at both my kids secondaries. To be left in a locker or even to be left in a pouch at Reception for one of them.

One does everything on paper at school / some homework requires a home computer. The other one, all pupils have a school-issued laptop and everything is on there (almost no paper).

My kids secondary always had a complete ban on bringing smartphones into school (except sixth form), it had to be a little brick phone.
They have online maths homework and the teachers send them emails, but at school it’s all analogue except for computing and graphic design.
Obviously most of the kids get home and go straight on their phones but I totally support the ban in school.

Totally agree with this.

I have two kids, one who is in state, which operated for many years as an ‘iPad school’ where many lessons were iPad based. They’re now phasing the iPads out (probably because they introduced unnecessary temptation and hassle), and they have also put in a total ban on phones in school using locking pouches.

Other child is at a private school (for a variety of reasons that are not relevant here) and at that school, they do have access to computers, but almost all lessons are book based. Phones are not allowed at all in the lower school, and not expected to be seen in the upper school other than in very limited circumstances.

In my view, kids need to be able to use computers, but they do not need smart phones during the school day (nor much of the rest of the time either, to be fair!)

Kids need to learn to use tech. It’s in the national curriculum. For example in ks2 they need to learn to use searches effectively safely and responsibly, use programs to present data and information, design write and debug programs…
I would be extremely concerned if these were theory lessons.
Aside from that tech can add to other subjects but kids can’t just not learn how to use tech in 2026.

My daughter is s2 and they all get their own iPads in primary school that come with them to high school. There are no lockers or anything like that so I’m glad all their work is so easily carried around. She actually hates typing so has jotters for every subject but that’s her (unusual) choice and I do wonder if that will be an issue in future when she needs to type everything.

We are a fairly low screen house so I don’t love that they’re on screens so much of the day at school. I very much oppose the ban on phones at school though. My daughter has been bullied on and off and attacked at school twice (for our religion) and as she’s autistic with situational mutism she has struggled to get support from adults at school. Being able to message me has been invaluable. Am aware the actual issue here is she isn’t being kept safe at school but until they do something about that she will have a way to contact me when she needs to.