does your school permit electronic devices/games at school?

[fuddyduddy]

My DCs school has just announced that children (primary school, from Y4) can take electronic games/devices (ie phones, nintendo, iPad, kindle fire, etc) to school and can play with/on them during breaks and other play times, as well as take them on school trips. I'm shocked and disappointed as I think break time should be time for children to interact with each other rather than with devices. I'd be very interested to know whether this is now "normal" at primary schools? (I'm not referring to the use of computer technologies in classrooms or for school work but, rather, the use of electronic games, internet, etc for recreation during breaks). Does anyone else find this policy odd?

Absolutely not!
Mobiles (mainly Y6 that get to/from school on their own) have to be handed to the headship team at start of school and collected at the end of the day.
I think they are allowed into the IT room at lunchtime and can use the computers sometimes (under supervision).
Not allowed to be taken on trips (mainly I think because they would get lost!!)

The only time its allowed in ds school is year 6-8 (prep school) in a slot on a Friday afternoon they call 'golden time' but the 'tech' has to be locked in a cupboard at the start of the day and they aren't allowed to play on them even when waiting for parents at end of day, so its strictly regulated and I noticed the other week they were encouraging board games etc instead.

I'd not be impressed.

Our school doesn't allow any of those. Imagine the fuss and bother involved if one gets broken of stolen... just daft. and i want my kids playing at playtime, outside with friends. Y6 mobiles are allowed, but handed in at the start of the day. Even holiday club says no as many devices have camera/video in them, which then becomes a safe-guarding privacy issue.

thanks for your replies.
MrsB -- I hadn't thought of the "safe-guarding privacy" issue.

KS2 can take them (not phones) in on the last day of term if the parent gives written consent and agrees the child is responsible for it. Otherwise no.

No but the Y6 seem to have mobile phones that magically appear once out of the school gates.

no, the school has a ds, a wii and some ipads but the kids only use them on a friday during golden time.

i'm glad to hear other schools are more sensible! I agree with you, Tiggytape, that allowing these devices at school suggests they are "sanctioned" by teachers and that undermines the arguments of parents who wish to restrict/limit the use of electronic games. I also think it creates a terrible economic divide between those who can afford to buy "the latest and best" device, those who have last year's model and those who have nothing...

No electronic games of any sort for a variety of reasons mentioned above. They can only wear watches when they get to Yr 4.

No, that's insane. I'll wager the policy will last about a week, as after that they will have had so many break/been dropped/lost that they have to change the policy!

Allowed for one-off days here and there, parents have to sign disclaimers.

Tbh, most of the dc in ds's class decided it was a bad idea and took board games in instead, with a bit of encouragement from parents! "if that's left lying on the floor and is stood on, it will break in half and you won't be getting a other one"

Bad idea on loads of levels, most already mentioned but I also think parents could easily say no, sorry, its not going to school.

I'd be fuming if that was our school! Phones can be taken in Y6 but dropped into office first thing then reclaimed at home time. The school library has its own bank of iPads & Kindles which are used in lessons though

Nuts! How many devices will be lost? Stolen? Used to bully others? How long before there is an issue with inappropriate content?

thanks for all your comments. i'm relieved to know I'm not alone. I thought perhaps I really was just horribly old-fashioned. I'll now speak with some RL parents at school to see if they agree and perhaps we can take it up with the "powers that be".

Gosh, I must be horribly old-fashioned because I wouldn't agree with this either. Ds's old primary explicitly said no electronic gadgets on school trips etc but there's no way anyone would have considered taking them in at any other time either. No mobiles allowed, even in yr 6.

Ds is not allowed a mobile even at his secondary school and that's fine by me.

Not allowed here either - and like other schools, mobiles must be dropped into the office before school starts too.

Our school allowed Nintendo DSs to be taken into one class once during a Christmas party day. It caused no end of problems. The 2 children who didn't have one were teased and lots of parents complained at the principle. Mobile phones in Y6 are grudgingly accepted but must be switched off. I think it's a good idea to get Y6s used to a mobile phone in the safer environment of their primary school, IMO.