How to word a letter about mobile phones being used in the classroom ?

[mamatomany]

Apparently my 6 year olds year 2 teacher asks them to hang on a minute whilst she responds to a text
There was something on the radio about the case in Plymouth and I just casually said none of your teachers have mobiles do they ? Turns out all three have witnessed teachers using their phones whilst the children work during the lessons.
I feel this is extremely unprofessional and in light of events should have been stopped months ago.
I want to approach the head WWDY ?

Children usually get changed in classrooms, not changing rooms. Classrooms have windows, often internal as well as external. Who are you going to write to about that? Maybe all children should either not get changed for PE or go home to do it? Maybe a whole day of PE per term to avoid changing? Or maybe you could try to trust the teachers a little.

Not sure who would want pics of kids in vests and pants when they can look at the Next catalogue, but there you go.

But Feenie unless you have all the teachers' mobile numbers how would that help in an emergency?

If the school phone system is unreliable is should be fixed, different issue to the teacher having a phone to deal with her own emergencies IMO.

Blimey. My phone is switched off during (secondary) lessons. I would confiscate the phone of a student if I saw it, and therefore I cannot have my own phone out! We would be in serious trouble with our Head if we were using, or even checking, our phones in lessons.

If there was an emergency there would be as many phones as there are students, so no need to worry there

The abuse thing is bonkers though.

cat64 - I think the OP isn't getting support because she's not objecting to texting on professionalism grounds but on the grounds that the teacher could also use the phone to distribute photos of children to peadophile rings.

Cat64 - we are a small school with one secretary. If she is on the phone, there is no one to answer the other line - I know, I spent 20 minutes trying to get in touch with my own school before I gave up and phoned someone's mobile. It wasn't an emergency, I left a voicemail. But what if it had been? My situation is not at all unusual, either.

BTW, a mobile was used to call the ambulance for the little girl I referred tp earlier.

PHOTOS OF WHAT THOUGH FFS?

loopy My children get changed in changing rooms, not in the classroom with windows, the kids get soaking wet, covered in mud when they are out playing sport.
So more of them could be seen than i'd be comfortable being filmed or photographed.
As for the next catalogue comparison I'm sure that is used for the purposes Next didn't intend but that's the look up of the parents who chose and accept payment to put their child in that position isn't it.

Sorry for the shouting, but for heaven's sake.

In a nursery, children are in nappies, relying on carers to change them etc.

In a school, children take their shirts of and put on a t shirt, swap shoes for trainers and trousers/skirts for shorts. Why would even the lamest of paedophiles even bother?

Sounds like you'd better take them out of school completely then, mamatomany - what with there being paedophiles hanging around every corner of the corridor.

FWIW, I don't think teachers should be actively using their phones for social reasons during lessons (as I said earlier - I keep mine in my office) but your hysteria about potential paedophile rings being organised in primary schools across the land is ridiculous.

Pull them out of sport them. Or home ed. Asking teachers not to have phones on won't stop someone depraved enough to do those things. Only the innocent will comply, surely.

Maybe paedophiles take what they can get ? You've never had a child wet themselves at primary school ?

I think most of us were in agreement that if the teachers were texting / using their phones / playing angry birds regularly then of course the OP has grounds to complain to the school.

The pedophile thing is just bonkers though.

Mamatomany
Do you really think that a teacher would risk her/his job by whipping out her/his phone in a changing room and taking photos or videos of the children getting changed? Again, the kind of person who is interested in children does not want to be caught. They do not want to draw attention to themselves.

The Plymouth case is a good example of this. They guy did not do his dirty work himself. He approached others, women who either already had pedophile leanings or who were vulnerable and wanted to please him.

Oh grow up, it's not an unreasonable request that nobody should be in a position to photograph or film my child without my consent.
The nursery staff are being asked to not to do so, I don't see why teachers should be an exception. They are in the same position.

I use my phone quite a bit in the classroom. My school emails come through automatically, and we are expected to check emails several times a day, even during lessons. I prefer checking them on my phone, so that I don't have to freeze my projector.

I am always getting asked left-field questions, so will whip out my phone and wiki/google the question.

I use the camera in lessons to photograph pupils in action with their experiments.

If a pupil needs to leave my classroom for a peri lesson or some other reason, I set the alarm so that none of us forgets.

I don't take calls in the classroom, do Facebook/Twitter/Mumsnet, or send texts.

Just to add to my last post. I do not feel that they deserve sympathy because the guy took advantage of their vulnerability, their neediness. The women should have been horrified at what he was asking them to do, they were not hapless victims.

But you're assuming that having a mobile phone about your person is the same as filming a child getting changed or using the loo. It's not. Get a grip.

Mamatomany - we have cameras everywhere in schools, taking phones won't help.

Oh for heavens sake, mamatomany, it would seem that the only way you can keep your daughter safe is to accompany her at all times and to all places.

Do you let her visit other children's houses, go to parties or visit public places.

Surely the huge incidence of peadophilia you fear isn't just restricted to the teaching profession is it ?

Yes, but they're not filming them or photographing them, are they? You just think they could.

I've never had a child wet themselves, no, but I teach secondary. If I were to, however, I would send them to the office to get cleaned up, which is where I think people are proposing all mobiles should be left?

Also, what about CCTV?

Ah well, my phone is just a phone

'Maybe paedophiles take what they can get ? You've never had a child wet themselves at primary school ?'

For the protection of the adults and the child, anyone who wets or soils has to be changed by two adults. Or the parent is phoned if they don't want that option.

No I am not and quite clearly said I do not think it's is likely that anything untoward is going on, I'd hardly send them in every day to allow that to happen or ask on mumsnet AIBU to send my child into be abused each day if I had the slightest hint that a paedophile was operating within my child's school.
My point is that as there has been a situation where mobile phones cameras were used to photograph children by 4 women from Merseyside to Plymouth then I'd wrongly assumed a blanket ban was already in place.