Teen dc long walk home and no longer has a phone

[HelpfulHelena]

Has your dc stopped taking their phone to school following the new rules introduced widely this term banning phones on school premises (not even at bottom of their bag) and how do you feel about it, particularly if they have a long walk, cycle, bus or train journey home?

My dc has a 2 mile walk each way, and is age 16 so often doesn’t come straight home. I’m struggling to adjust to the fact I can’t message her ( or track her if she doesn’t reply!) and she cannot let me know if she has trouble or decides to go to a friend’s house after school.

At least when I was at school I could phone from a phone box. Now she’s just out there, god knows where.

She was never obsessed with her phone, and only used it for utility purpose - so it’s especially tough. It’s okay right now but soon it will be dark as she’s getting home, and her walk is long and lonely. There’s no bus and I work so I can’t collect her.

Is anyone else finding the new rules make them more anxious about their teens in particular being alone in the big wide world?

PS if anyone says “you should have planned for this” school only told us the new rule one day before term commenced. So zero time to do anything about it.

If she stops off anywhere she borrows a phone to text or call you, just like in the olden days. If you're at work she could message once home to let you know she's back? Realistically, if someone was going to assault her on the way home having a phone wouldn't stop it happening.

I guess it might be useful to find if there's a phone box somewhere along the route. But nobody needed phones to get to and from any location safely twenty five years ago. So what's the difference now?

I’m not a parent so while I was aware of the rules regarding phones in school, I assumed the kids had to put them away eg in lockers that only the staff had access to and they were returned at the end of the day. If they’re not allowed at all, that sounds unfair.

How would anyone know if she had a dumb phone at the bottom of her bag and it was switched off?

Some schools have completely banned them, others like my dc have lockers they can use(with permission). We live in an area where bus passes are only available via a mobile app for public buses and since we don't live on the school bus route my dc have permission.

My dc has a 2 stage entrance and phone lockers are in between. There's scanners at the 2nd set of doors which picks up any phones hidden in bags

Really?
How can a scanner tell if a switched off dumb phone in a bag is a phone and not something like a calculator?
Surely when it's switched off it's just a piece of plastic with battery in?

Stick an AirTag in her bag?

Because if anything comes up that could potentially be a phone then the student needs to show it. Which is why most students keep their calculators in their blazer pocket .

This must be a joke. When did you last see a phone box with a working phone? Any that are left contain defibrillators or books.

Are these airport scanners or something?
Sounds a bit invasive 🙁

There are a few around.
I think it's a legal thing to keep some in action.
But yes....they are rare.

This is madness! I’m genuinely shocked. I’m a primary teacher so I do see the issues,
but a Nokia switched off z?!?!

Why isn’t she allowed a brick phone to call and text? I dont know any school near me that has banned brick phones, they just have to hand them in (or whatever similar system in place). Smartphones they now can’t take in.

Because there’s no guarantee it’ll stay switched off.

I'd put an airtag in her bag.

Smart phones are banned in my kids school (and most of the other secondaries around here) but dumb phones are allowed so the kids have those with a pay as you go sim. This means they can ring if they are going to a mates after school or similar. There are no pay phones and none of their friends has a landline so it is the only way they can contact us. I can't imagine any school round here having the budget for scanners and special lockers for phones or the space.

I’m surprised to hear that there are schools that have banned brick phones switched off in the bottom of the bag.

I agree that the removal of pay phones has to be taken into account here.

If she stops off at a friend she could ask friend to message you.

Yes I do get that, but I try I’ll forcing children to return from school without a phone isn’t the right answer either.

This is crazy. I would be really unhappy about this. What about a totally switched off phone hidden in the bottom of a bag?

She’s 16.

i would hope at that age she’s got some common sense although mine didn’t always.

if you are really anxious and AirTag in her bag but mine would not have tolerated that at 16.

But what can it do?
Calls and texts.
If it rings or beeps for a message then it will be confiscated.

How would a phone help? They are unlikely to be able to call while being kidnapped. She can call you from her friends house, just write your number on a card she keeps in her bag. If she doesn’t arrive home on time (within 30 mins) go looking for her.