Mobile phones in secondary schools

[Bounder]

We are starting to consider secondary options for ds1 (year 4) and was shocked to hear from the mother of an older boy that at his school students commonly use phones to video others, including the teacher, in class. In fact this was at the root of a bullying episode recently. Her take on it was "well they cant really confiscate 1200 phones every morning can they?" - of course thats true. Do most schools allow phones but insist that they are turned off etc during lessons? Thinking about it, it must be a nightmare to police

40+

Sadly the kids think they have a 'right' to them at all times.

Cue the 'But I need it miss, my Gran is very sick in hospital' line

i was proud of how I dealt with that one

'oh dear, how awful for you, you must be very worried. Look, we have to hand in the phone, but I'll get Welfair to phone home and check on how your Gran is doing'

@oh no miss, its OK'

'No, no, I insist, it will help to stop you worrying, you'll feel much better once Welfair ask your parents how Gran is doing'

@PLEEEAASSEE MISs DON@T PHONE HOME!'

LOL, sometimes I like my job [evil chuckle emoticon needed]

Tee hee - you are wicked!

I bought my two phones when they started secondary school. I know they're pretty good at not abusing them - I bought ds1 £10 - worth of credit with the phone and he still had over £9 left a year later! I told him that when I'd said he wasn't to use it too much that wasn't quite what I meant!

The other important distinction imo is that they shouldn't take camera phones to school - I've heard of incidents with pupils taking photos over loo doors etc. Mine just have the most basic phone without a camera. They each have a separate digital camera to take on holiday etc.

We had an incident of assault no that long ago in school site. The strong indication was that it was to be filmed and put up on the internet!

My son was shown pornographic images by another child who had got them using bluetooth technology. He was only 12 at the time. Luckily he told me about it a week l;ater so the culprit was caught and disciplined as he still had all the clips on his phone.

We have ahad 'incidence' in that line too....nasty stuff don't want to go into detail

I'm just glad that my son told me about it - the offending child had taken his phone to a Cub camp the previous week so that was dealt with too. The stupid idiot was really just being a pratt, thinking he was being SO clever. If he'd been another couple of years older he could've found himself on the sex offenders' register.

Some of the trings that we have had to deal with have made me feel quite ill, if I am honest.

I think that this is one of those issues where perfectly reasonable parents think that schools over react. I have known of very nice, helpful, supportive parents who activly encourage their kids to break out rules and take phones into school.

What they don't take on board is that one child having a phone is one thing, 30 having them is a different dynamic. And things can, and sadly do, spiral.

This is one of those cases where a rule which is perfectly right for one child , can be horribly wrong for a school

I'm sure you are right. My two take theirs to Student Services each day, but apparently only about 20 others do. I suppose it would be impractical if 900 children started handing in phones every morning and the school would have to find another solution.

DS1 has a mobile which he takes to school and we only live a 15 minute walk from the school. There are times when I need to let him know that I'm going to be late or he calls to ask if a friend can come to tea.

I believe the rule at school is that phones are allowed provided they are switched off during the day and not used on school premises.

I've not heard of any problems, but this is a grammar school so perhaps attitudes are different (as in most boys there want to learn, so not so many disaffected types who might think it fun to abuse the policy).

Doesn't seem to be a problem at my children's schools. They are allowed to take phones into school, and to use them at break or lunchtime. However, if they are seen using one at other times, or the phone rings in class, the phone is confiscated and must be collected by a parent.

I don't want to/ can't go into detail on the problems that phones have caused us, for all manner of reasons.

Lets just say that there were serious issues of sex and violence.

All very sad and repugnant

Freckle - a friend whose child attends a well respected public school told me that her daughter had been subjected to a campaign of abuse via text messages, which lasted several months. It became so serious that she threatened to involve the Police.

The perpetrators were from wealthy, middle class families.

That also happened at the (private) school my kids go to. A group of girls were using texts to bully another.

Is it more of a girl thing then? I'm aware that the text bullying seems to be more the forte of girls - as most verbal/emotional bullying is (on MSN too).

There just doesn't seem to be a problem at DS1's school at all, so one wonders why it seems to be a problem at some schools but not at others where mobiles are permitted.

I wish they would ban phones at my teen dd and ds's school, I have even had a text from my dd when she was in class

IME text bullying is more of a girl thing. Boys tend to take more direct action, thump each other, and then get on with life IYSWIM

I sent a text to a friend who is a teacher & she'd forgotten to turn her phone off, so she was in trouble with her pupils!

Mb we ahve had n awful case involving phones and things of a sexual nature in our school, I was reading new guidelines from the government today which said we could confiscate phones but not look atmessages without permsission which made me think as that was exactly what we did to deal with the case in our school of bullying using mobiles.