Mobile phone ban in school

[Scalagala]

Post inspired by comments on other thread. Would you support a blanket ban on mobile phones in your school? This means no mobile phones - including brick phones - to be allowed in school at all, so hence no access on the way home / on to other activities.
YABU - support a blanket ban.
YANBU - schools could adopt other methods such as pouches or phones off during school day.

Some students with medical conditions do, like the 30,000 children in the UK living with type 1 diabetes. https://breakthrought1d.org.uk/news/letter-to-gillian-keegan-about-the-use-of-mobile-phones-in-schools/

This policy has been rushed in with no thought of how the public messaging will affect children who rely on smartphones for medical reasons. Not only do they now have to deal with eg type 1 diabetes, they now have to deal with feeling seemingly excluded from smart phone free schools unless their school has remembered to include the small print exceptions necessary to enable them to attend.

The level of ignorance displayed in public discourse on this topic does not fill me with confidence that the medical needs of affected children will be met.

Yes, even when they are forced to let those kids have their phones to help them stay alive, that will mark them out and force them to have to share their private medical history with anybody who sees them and asks.

Plus it won't even 'just' be quiet 'asking' when it's jealous other kids who want to go on SM themselves, it will be making a big scene that "Phones are meant to be banned, but Olivia is allowed to use hers; but I'm not, so that's unfair and favouritism..."

Olivia will be marked out and shamed as the 'lucky' one for having a life-long, life-threatening health condition - not unlike able-bodied people who complain about blue badge-holders being allowed to park 'wherever they like' or getting concessions that they don't get... because they obviously are privileged enough not to need them.

No I’m saying anyone who needs to phone 999 isn’t exempt from the rule. That’s what I was replying to.

It already happens at our school.
All the diabetic students have full access to their phones, no one else is allowed.
This is life and people need to respect the rules. I have never heard anyone question these students. It is what it is and they accept it.
it’s a good lesson in respecting others needs.
Most students are very understanding.

There are medical pouches. But those children will always have had access to their phones etc when other students have not been allowed to have access to their phones during the day

Honestly I just wouldn't be the least bit surprised that's the case. Its just so predictable.

Were you never a child?

Kids will use whatever they can get away with to fill the pouches, from old phones, to being creative make something phone shaped, bits of metal, plastic or cardboard, dud AAA batteries, glass or stones to add weight.

Whatever they can get away with.

It doesn't surprise me the only people winning out the pouches are the companies who make them.

What would make much more sense is to ban social media for under 16s and ensure parental controls remain in place on phones until kids are 16 too