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Are phone bans reasonable?

Do you believe Phone bans in secondary schools and sixth forms are necessary or reasonable? How should they be inforced and what exceptions should apply?

Recently a school has said they will be requiring students to hand in phones at the start of the day and random spot-checks with handheld scanners will take place. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg58n8v4270o.amp

Reply 1

StriderHort

Seems pretty reasonable to me, I can only assume a school will have gone through years of trying to mitigate phones before moving to this more intensive approach. At the end of the day pupils don't need phones and can leave them at home with the rest of their toys and entertainment.

Reply 2

Talkative Toad

Volunteer Team

A ban where you’re still allowed to bring your phone to school but you simply can’t use it in school? Absolutely reasonable in my opinion .

A ban where you can’t even bring your phone to school point blank? No that’s not reasonable in today’s climate or society in my opinion (because of emergency situations).

Reply 3

tazarooni89

The "random spot checks with handheld scanners" seems a bit excessive to me. They're phones, not weapons. Airport style security measures against them is hardly necessary.

I would think it's more reasonable to just say that phones should be kept switched off and out of sight at all times during the school day. If any member of staff sees them being used, or if they're heard ringing during lessons etc. they can be confiscated and handed back at the end of the day.

Reply 4

StriderHort

Original post by tazarooni89

The "random spot checks with handheld scanners" seems a bit excessive to me. They're phones, not weapons. Airport style security measures against them is hardly necessary.
I would think it's more reasonable to just say that phones should be kept switched off and out of sight at all times during the school day. If any member of staff sees them being used, or if they're heard ringing during lessons etc. they can be confiscated and handed back at the end of the day.

As said, they've v probably already tried this hands off approach and it's apparently failed them. If the school feels they still aren't in control it's likely they'll go for a collective 'well **** everyone' policy like so many things in schools over the years.

Reply 5

jonathanemptage

I don’t agree with that. Phones should be allowed provided they are on silent and out of sight in lessons not causing a distraction what’s next banning watches (smartwatches are getting more and more common.) . But banning them out right that’s a bit draconian.

(edited 4 weeks ago)

Reply 6

StriderHort

Original post by jonathanemptage

I don’t agree with that phones should be allowed provided they are on silent and out of sight in lessons not causing a distraction what’s next banning watches (smartwatches are getting more and more common.) .

What do you do when that simply doesn't work though? You have to escalate your policy or accept lessons being consistently disrupted with petty discipline issues. If school kids could be trusted to not distract themselves and each other schools would be a v different place and as said, I can only assume the school tried the softly softly honour approach already.

Funny you mention watches as they did used to be banned in many schools, pretty much if you took any electronic thing to school worth more than maybe a tenner, it would be confiscated and your parents would need to come and get it and get a lecture about sending kids to school with fancy toys. I imagine it can be utter hell for school staff when little Timmy loses his £1k iphone or has it taken off them and you have to try and search a whole school with parents screaming down the phone about how much it cost and who they'll sue etc when they should have seen this coming. I can see why a policy of 'no phones at all' might come about just for the sake of the staff.

Reply 7

hotpud

Original post by daviddaviddavid1

Do you believe Phone bans in secondary schools and sixth forms are necessary or reasonable? How should they be inforced and what exceptions should apply?
Recently a school has said they will be requiring students to hand in phones at the start of the day and random spot-checks with handheld scanners will take place. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg58n8v4270o.amp

There is a growing body of evidence that shows phones in schools provides for a largely negative experience. Students are distracted by them in lessons, online bullying is more prevalent and then there is the fall out from broken, lost or stolen phones. They are not needed. They serve no purpose in school especially as so many young people are unable to use them responsibly.