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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Games consoles on a a school trip

28 replies

Morebiscuitsplease · 26/02/2014 13:46

DD in Y5 is off on a residential trip shortly. They were told they could take iPods, I pads Nintendo ds etc. I queried this with the teacher as following a letter form a group of parents these are not allowed in school. She said they needed something to amuse them between activities. So I very reluctantly agreed a DS was ok. My child doesn't not have a DS and said no one will want to play top trumps with her if they all have a DS. I and other parents of feel they are not necessary. They have their friends and they can play/chat and enjoy some technology free time. Spoke to the head for clarification who said it was for the journey (an hour and a half tops!!!) and seemed to think the children should have them. I did point out they would play in them at night. She said they wouldn't.. Find it very sad that they are unwilling to say no. On our brownies and guide camps the hu are not allowed and they still want to go. Your thoughts please!

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Middleagedmotheroftwo · 26/02/2014 13:52

I'm not a teacher, but I regularly take kids on Brownie sleepovers and longer residentials, and there is NO WAY we would allow ipods, tablets, DSs etc. If kids can't amuse themselves for 90 minutes on a bus trip, things have come to a pretty pass! And apart from anything else, there is a significant risk of them getting lost or broken. You could try asking the school if their insurance would cover damage or loss of such items - bet it doesn't.

Surely it's the teachers' job (or the job of the staff at the residential centre) to amuse kids between activities, if the kids really don't seem able to amuse themselves.

However, you don't have to give your DCs the gadgets to take, just because the school says they are allowed them. If you and other parents all feel the same, just don't pack them. I wouldn't.

jhatter · 26/02/2014 14:13

Utter madness!

When my DD went on PGL in yr6, the school stipulated that no phones, tablets, ipods etc could be taken for fear of them being lost, stolen or broken.

The whole point of these residential trips is to engage the children in new activities and to get them to try things that they have never done before. Not for them to stand around playing with their gadgets & devices.

On the way home my DD's coach got stuck in a traffic jam on the M25 and the all the children started sing-song.

Put your foot down, say no to the DS and make sure like-minded parents do the same with their darlings.

EdithWeston · 26/02/2014 14:17

Our school bans all electronic gadgets (as they will not take responsibility for loss/breakages, nor do they want to police usage levels or sort out squabbles). I think they're relented a bit for basic Kindles (or similar) only, as taking reading material is fine. But for those loss/breakage is clearly pupil, not staff, responsibility

Original poster

Morebiscuitsplease · 26/02/2014 14:53

Mine will not be taking anything but am very surprised at the school's attitude.

OP posts:

pointythings · 26/02/2014 14:58

Our school allowed iPods etc. on last year's Yr6 trip to France but warned that any loss, breakage etc. would be the child's responsibility.

I sent DD2 with a sufficiently huge book to last the 5 days and she was fine (she can't read on buses as she is a travelsicker).

ThreeBeeOneGee · 26/02/2014 15:09

My children don't have a DS or ipod. They usually take a pack of Top Trumps cards or similar. If a child cannot amuse themselves for a 90 minute journey by looking out of the window or chatting to a friend, then I would be concerned about them.

Original poster

Morebiscuitsplease · 26/02/2014 16:34

ThreeBeeOneGee, I totally agree...

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LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 26/02/2014 16:43

My DS is yr3, so I haven't had this yet, but I'm really surprised that they can take gadgets like this. What a shame.

Picturesinthefirelight · 26/02/2014 16:47

The centre ds has just been to & that dd went to in Year 5 bans all forms of electronics. They were banned at school then kindles became a grey area & now they are allowed in school on condition they are used for reading only. Anyone caught playing games will have it confiscated. & it's entirely at the parents risk

Dd is now in year 7 & will he allowed to take her phone to France.

BackforGood · 26/02/2014 17:12

I think your school must be fairly unusual.
No electronics has always been the rule with all the trips my dc have been on - school or Scouts.

Taz1212 · 26/02/2014 17:22

Last year DS' school did allow electronic devices on their P6 school trip to France and Belgium. They had originally said no, but so many parents put up a fuss that they changed their mind. DS did not bring any after we made it very very clear that if he lost his DS or whatever, it would not be replaced!

Crowler · 26/02/2014 19:04

My children's school has never permitted "devices" apart from a very basic Kindle. It's contrary to the aim of a school trip, IMO.

ThreeBeeOneGee · 26/02/2014 19:45

Although if I had to drive mine any further than Devon, I'd be buying them small screen gadgets faster than you can say 'unlimited screen time'.

Suttonmum1 · 26/02/2014 19:54

DS in year 7 was allowed no electronics for a week trip. for primary it is ludicrous. Allowing items with internet access and cameras is very dodgy ground.

BambooBear13 · 28/02/2014 20:18

I think it's wrong on many levels - some don't have them, some wont he allowed to take them etc and competition between who has what. More importantly it misses the point of a trip away !!!!

Hulababy · 28/02/2014 20:25

When dd went on her primary school residentials they were not allowed to take anything like iPods, phones or game consoles.

They were allowed a basic kindle for reading, and they were allowed cameras too.

Hulababy · 28/02/2014 20:27

Sutton mum - can't see why a camera would be an issue. Dd has some lovely photos as a reminder of her trips. Only one she didn't take it to was a pgl trip as wouldn't have worked with the activities, but the others she did.

Crowler · 28/02/2014 20:28

Also, my kids' school is keen to prevent parent/child contact. They say homesickness is worsened after a call or email. I don't know if I believe this, but I suppose I must defer to their expertise.

Nocomet · 28/02/2014 20:54

Trouble is if you allow kindles, DD1 would have kicked up a massive fuss because she has loads of iBooks on her iPod, but didn't have a kindle.

Thus I think it's a very slippery slope. You either say no gadgets or accept what ever comes.

In all honesty a phone or an iPod touch is so small, how do you know.

DD1 took her phone to her international guide thing and rang us just once when the guider wasn't looking.

I knew she'd taken her phone, I think all the others had too, they were 13/14/15 not 10.

Nocomet · 28/02/2014 20:56

Home sickness was the Guiders excuse and yes phoning home doesn't help, I've been there.

However, this bunch were veterans of enough camps and school trips that it really wasn't likely.

Sparklysilversequins · 28/02/2014 20:59

I can't bring myself to care about this.

lljkk · 01/03/2014 07:22

It's very hard to ban phones & if you allow phones then you end up allowing small devices like iPods/DSis. If you allow a deposable camera then you end up allowing expensive digital cameras, and most people use their phone as a camera, so...

I expect that they would still enjoy playing top trumps. Novelty factor!!

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 01/03/2014 07:49

My DS went on his Year 5 residential recently, they were not allowed anything except a camera. We sent him with our old one. The staff took masses of photos and we were all given a CD with them on afterwards, so no one was left out if they didn't have a camera. They were very clear that thry thought no contact with home or the internet was a good thing, I agree.

YoullNeedATray · 01/03/2014 11:21

Electronic gadgets of all types are not permitted on any of the Guiding or school events that I have been involved with as either parent, leader or teacher.

There's the social exclusion /jealousy / bullying issue as well as the risk of loss or damage.

clam · 01/03/2014 12:28

I'm staggered at the school's stance on this.
On every school trip I've been on, every waking moment has been jam-packed with activity.
It's a recipe for endless hassle.

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