Mobile phones in secondary schools

Poll

Should secondary students be allowed to have their mobile phones at school?

Dear all,

I am a Birmingham University MA Student and a practicing secondary school teacher in West Midlands at the same time. I am working on my dissertation looking at: How mobile phones affect the learning of secondary school students.
Very kindly comment and post what you think. Should they be banned? should they be allowed? are they necessary in class or school? Can they have a very positive effect on the students' learning? What do you think?
Have you researched this issue before? Then I would gladly like to be in contact with you so that you advise me etc.

Every comment will be very highly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance.

Reply 1

donuticus

12

Sixth Form yes, any other age group no. You're at school not at the local youth club. Exactly what do 13 and 14yo need a mobile during school hours for?

Reply 2

aimz666

I think its perfectly fair to have a mobile phone in school just so kids can contact parents after school especially at after school activites when the receptionists have gone home.

In class no. On Silent. =)

Not that I listen to my own advice

Reply 3

Annie72

17

As a parent I would say they should be allowed.There are times when both of my sons can be late home ( usually due to buses being late etc) and I worry about them.If they have a mobile on them I can call and make sure they are ok.

EDIT:I agree with the post under mine. Its an excellent idea :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 4

donuticus

12

Sorry. I should have made myself clearer. I have no objection to younger teenagers having mobile phones and agree that as a safety precaution they are invaluable.

However there is absolutely no need for them to be switched on during lessons. Maybe the school could look at providing safe storage, such as small lockers, for them during lesson times. Anyone caught with a phone on during lessons loses it till the end of term no excuses.

Apologies I should have made this clearer in my initial reply.

Reply 5

charcharchar

14

I think they should be allowed them, but solely for use at lunch-time/break-time not in lessons as it is very distracting both for teachers and fellow pupils. However, by college age, teenagers should be allowed them as they have come to college out of their own free will and thetefore are likely to be less disruptive in class and will actually WANT the education they're recieving, thus they should be given a little bit more freedom than when they were at school
:biggrin:

Reply 6

username425364

3

I think that it is not pragmatic to enforce any rules against mobile phones within school, it simply just does not work.
My previous school dropped the policy and changed it to, "none in sight",- a admission that such rules do not work, with the school trying to "save face".

There are many positives,
1) Contacting parents,
2) Time (walking to and from school and within school),
3) Social? umm, okay a stretch here, but meeting up with friends at break/lunch can sometimes be hard,
4) Saving notes/homework (very useful)
5) Safety to/from school, perhaps even within school

Reply 7

Onyx.

Original post by donuticus

However there is absolutely no need for them to be switched on during lessons.

I agree but that wasn't the question. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a mobile phone on your person at school.

Original post by donuticus

Anyone caught with a phone on during lessons loses it till the end of term no excuses.

This however, is ridiculous and completely unreasonable.
I don't think school has the right to keep a mobile for such a long period of time--suppose the student urgently needs it? They're just going to turn to their parents and ask them to collect it and then the school won't be able to refuse them.

My school has a policy where your phone is confiscated until a parent/career collects it and I think that's fair. All in all, I think the positives of a having a phone at school out way the negatives :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 8

donuticus

12

Original post by Onyx.

I agree but that wasn't the question. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a mobile phone on your person at school.

This however, is ridiculous and completely unreasonable.
I don't think school has the right to keep a mobile for such a long period of time--suppose the student urgently needs it? They're just going to turn to their parents and ask them to collect it and then the school won't be able to refuse them.

My school has a policy where your phone is confiscated until a parent/career collects it and I think that's fair. All in all, I think the positives of a having a phone at school out way the negatives :smile:

I don't think it's unreasonable at all. As long as students are given somewhere safe and secure for their phones to be kept and are given fair warning of the rules. If anyone then uses a phone during lesson time they must be doing so to blatantly undermine the discipline within that school.

I've worked in places before where you were not allowed to use moniles during office hours. If you were caught using your phone at work you were subject to a disciplinary meeting.

People need to be taught there are rules in life whatever we do, be it school or in the work environment. Whether people agree or disagree with them they are to be followed. Without an effective punishment there is no point in setting out rules.

When at school a you be concentrating on learning. If your parents need to speak to you urgently then they phone the school and someone comes and gets you. Thats what happened when I was at school.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

L i b

19

Original post by kalipat81

are they necessary in class or school?

Original post by donuticus

Exactly what do 13 and 14yo need a mobile during school hours for?

Need or necessity, as you should have established by now, only means anything in relation to a defined objective. You don't "need" anything independently of working towards a conclusion in a rational and planned way.

So yes, children don't "need" phones in school. Equally they don't "need" limbs, clothing or food - but I've yet to see anyone remove that from them.

Reply 10

Onyx.

Original post by donuticus

I don't think it's unreasonable at all. As long as students are given somewhere safe and secure for their phones to be kept and are given fair warning of the rules. If anyone then uses a phone during lesson time they must be doing so to blatantly undermine the discipline within that school.

I've worked in places before where you were not allowed to use moniles during office hours. If you were caught using your phone at work you were subject to a disciplinary meeting.

People need to be taught there are rules in life whatever we do, be it school or in the work environment. Whether people agree or disagree with them they are to be followed. Without an effective punishment there is no point in setting out rules.

When at school a you be concentrating on learning. If your parents need to speak to you urgently then they phone the school and someone comes and gets you. Thats what happened when I was at school.

Things have changed a lot since then. I'm at school now and though I'm only speaking for the teachers I know, a lot of staff would think it would be unreasonable for a school to enforce such a rule :smile:

Reply 11

lifeplayer

Nothing wrong to allow secondary student to use phone. I would say just need to teach them and let them know when is the suitable time to use it but never use it during the class

Reply 12

donuticus

12

Original post by Onyx.

Things have changed a lot since then. I'm at school now and though I'm only speaking for the teachers I know, a lot of staff would think it would be unreasonable for a school to enforce such a rule :smile:

Fair enough I appreciate that but I also feel very strongly about discipline in classrooms and have many teacher friends who feel the same. It would be entirely voluntary, if you don't use your phone when you shouldn't you wont lose it. It's not a hard concept to understand surely.

Reply 13

kalipat81

OP

Thank you guys who commented on my thread. I can see alot of interesting ideas that i did not even think about. well done all of you and this is going to be very valuable for my dissertation.

Keep it going keep commenting andtelling your personal experiences. Will learning and teaching be better if these young people keep their mobile phones at home and go to school to learn?
kalipat81

Mobile phones in secondary schools

Should secondary students be allowed to have their mobile phones at school?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you