Can a teacher search a bag ?

[loumum3]

Hi

Quick question on behalf of a friend....her Daughter was sent out of class for talking and whilst she was outside, the teacher went through her bag. Is this allowed ?

At our school we were advised not to search bags. But if we suspected students of having contraband (weapons, drugs, mobiles..) and they refused to hand it over, then senior staff would come and remove the child. They would then search the bag in the presence of another member of staff, or if appropriate would call the police.

That is good advice Roisin. I am a senior teacher, so do search bags - but would only do it with the pupil's permission and in front of somebody else. If the pupil refused, I'd take it to the head.

A lot of schools ban them and I know of two locally who have teachers stand at the gates to ensure pupils don't take them out of their bags after they have been through the gates!
A friend's DD is in the 6th form and had hers confiscated after doing just this and the Dep head who took it off her gave her lines! Friend was fine about the phone being confiscated but was very annoyed about lines being given to a very hard working and conscienous student when she needed to use that time studying!

How did we cope last century without mobiles and getting to and from school on our own?

"My DC's school's policy is for them all to hand their phones it at reception in the morning and collect after school ."

Our school has the same policy. It means if a phone is lost or stolen, the school isn't responsible.

I think you can challenge a bag being searched in view of pupils- privacy, tampons etc. A teacher should inform a senior teacher, the pupil removed and a search carried out infront of pupil and other staff member.

In saying that all teachers have an off day. I'm sure there is more to the story than we know.

"How did we cope last century without mobiles and getting to and from school on our own?"

We managed but my dcs go to schhol by train and it makes life so much easier if there is a problem with the train, knowing exactly where they are and sorting out pick ups if there are no trains at all.

Our school has an outright ban on mobiles but I would estimate that probably around 90% of them have them! If I see a phone I will always give a friendly warning "You do realise, don't you, that if I see that I will have to send it to your Head of Year?" And they usually put it straight back in their bag. (I did once have a year 7 pupil, in class, say, "Just hang on a minute.") So I then had to put it in an envelope, put pupil's name/form on it and take it to HOY.

As far as searching a bag, I wouldn't - I would ask Dept Head/HOY to do so and it would always be in front of the pupil. I agree with PP that there was something more going on.

The reason for banning mobiles/MP3s etc is that if they are banned, the school is not liable if it gets stolen/lost/damaged. Hence we don't allow jewellery either!

Officially, we confiscate, & the office send out a form letter for parents to come in & collect the phone.

In practice, if a student is fiddling with a phone I take it & put it on my desk. They get it back, end of lesson, if they work impeccably. (I reserve the right to read their text messages out to the class & take the piss out of their wallpaper).

A silent phone at the bottom of someone's bag Does Not Exist, in teacher terms - we have other things to worry about! There's definitely more to this story than your ds knows/is telling.