Mobile Phones in Schools - No Access

[Alex_225]

Scrolling through Farcebook and I've seen several articles referencing school pupils not being given access to their mobile phones during the school day.

As a parent to three children, one being 13 I think this is a very good idea. As it happens my eldest daughters school has faraday pouches that the kids each have their phones locked in which get unlocked at the end of the day. It means they get a day free of screen time, no selfies and videos of the standard stuff school kids get up to.

I'm staggered at how many people seem to be against the idea of kids having their phones locked up or stored somewhere for the day. Seems bizarre that this would be considered anything but a good idea.

[No ideas for a name]

Sounds fine to me.
Slight management effort required to make sure that the right phone is given back to the right person - but easy to deal with.
Pupils beyond a certain age should be able to have a phone when traveling to/from school, but I don't see any need when they are actually there.

[Crumpet]

My son’s school has Yondr pouches that blocks all the signal and is locked and opened at start and finish times.

To be fair, his is empty as he’s the only one in his class without a phone. He doesn’t seem bothered.

It can only be a good thing keeping them off phones while at school

[CMTMB]

My 10 year old is one of only three pupils in her class who doesn't have a mobile phone. The rest of them have to hand it in to the teacher first thing and they get handed back out as they leave school at 3pm.

[pghstochaj]

CMTMB said:

My 10 year old is one of only three pupils in her class who doesn't have a mobile phone. The rest of them have to hand it in to the teacher first thing and they get handed back out as they leave school at 3pm.

That's a school decision though, no? Not a single child in my 10 year old's class takes a phone to school.

[POIDH]

IME, it is the parents that worry and demand phones, not the kids. Yes short term the kids miss it. But most quickly adapt to not needing them.
It is the parents that are desperate to be in touch and feel they still have some control / connection / protection over the kids....
No different from back in the day when kids used the payphone to call home - IME the vast majority it was parents needing the call, not the kids who were learning to be independent and having a great time in the moment with friends.
(Based on working in residential outdoor centres for more than a few years)

[CMTMB]

pghstochaj said:

CMTMB said:

My 10 year old is one of only three pupils in her class who doesn't have a mobile phone. The rest of them have to hand it in to the teacher first thing and they get handed back out as they leave school at 3pm.

That's a school decision though, no? Not a single child in my 10 year old's class takes a phone to school.

Yes sorry I should have said that. That's the school policy, which I suppose I assumed all schools probably did.

I left school in 1999 and already there were people using mobile phones to text in class, I can't imagine how bad it would be these days if they had access to their phone.

[the-norseman]

Stepson is at Silverstone UTC in Y10, they make them put them in lockers at the start of the day. Good idea, I'd hate to be at school now with a phone it would be so distracting.

I used to get away with wearing a headphone in class attached to either my CD player or Minidisk plater and then later on a Sony Ericson walkman phone.

[pghstochaj]

CMTMB said:

pghstochaj said:

CMTMB said:

My 10 year old is one of only three pupils in her class who doesn't have a mobile phone. The rest of them have to hand it in to the teacher first thing and they get handed back out as they leave school at 3pm.

That's a school decision though, no? Not a single child in my 10 year old's class takes a phone to school.

Yes sorry I should have said that. That's the school policy, which I suppose I assumed all schools probably did.

I left school in 1999 and already there were people using mobile phones to text in class, I can't imagine how bad it would be these days if they had access to their phone.

The two primary schools I have knowledge of just have a "no phone" policy.

[vikingaero]

POIDH said:

IME, it is the parents that worry and demand phones, not the kids. Yes short term the kids miss it. But most quickly adapt to not needing them.
It is the parents that are desperate to be in touch and feel they still have some control / connection / protection over the kids....
No different from back in the day when kids used the payphone to call home - IME the vast majority it was parents needing the call, not the kids who were learning to be independent and having a great time in the moment with friends.
(Based on working in residential outdoor centres for more than a few years)

At Mrs V.'s primary school, it is only years 5 & 6 that generally have phones that are locked away. There were a couple of Karen Parents who demanded that their Princess Chardonnay needs access to their phone for mental health issues or other spurious reason.

It's the same with money. In the past I've helped out with Scouts away trips and they have 3 meals and such a packed agenda that there is little time for shopping or snacks, so we advise them not to bring more than £5. You get the odd parent who insists on giving £100 to JaxonWaxonKlaxon.

[buggalugs]

No ideas for a name said:

Sounds fine to me.
Slight management effort required to make sure that the right phone is given back to the right person - but easy to deal with.
Pupils beyond a certain age should be able to have a phone when traveling to/from school, but I don't see any need when they are actually there.

My daughters school has this (y7)

She carries it to school then at/near the gates they put them into a pouch with a plastic noggin on it that looks like what they used to clip onto clothes to stop them getting nicked, this locks the bag.

The bag is "theirs" it stays with them through the day and they take it home at night obvs having unlocked it at an unlock station before leaving.

It seems to work well. The most common issue is kids accidentally locking their bag at home then they have to go and find someone to unlock it before they can put their phone away again in the morning.

This is the way IMO and should be done across the country.