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Phones in schools discussion

insertfloppydiskhere

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Splitting this off into a separate thread because the O2 one is getting clogged and I don't want the thread police going after us again! (cc @Lucian)

This discussion started from iPhones becoming more common among teenagers specifically in the O2 thread but we have continued this onwards to discuss other stuff related to phones in schools.

Yeah occasionally phones are allowed to do research including the use of ChatGPT/Copilot. Really depends on the places tolerance to phones though.

I can't really say much for actual secondary schools because I attended one for two days total and they didn't allow phones full stop (for some reason I even recall them getting mad at me for being on a phone call or something in the car park leaving the school).

Honestly I think schools need to strike a balance between both extremes, phones should be available for people to answer calls at any time (e.g. from a family member or workplace), they should be available for research in certain scenarios and they should be available to listen to music with.
 
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Just another ridiculous waste of time throwing red meat to some ignorant members of the base. Makes it sound like kids are wandering around school attached to their phones all day which they absolutely are not: schools have rules and confiscate phones if kids break rules around their use.

Many don't allow their use at all, and sanctions are given out just for having them in school without special dispensation.

Source: wife's nearly 20 years in secondary teaching, some as supply teacher so had contact with many schools' phone policies.
 
Many don't allow their use at all, and sanctions are given out just for having them in school without special dispensation.
This is very much what I have seen pretty much across the board too. The most lenient policy I have seen is being allowed to carry them on site, but then must switch off and store in your locker throughout the day. I've seen others where they are completely banned on site and in the unlikely event you have some kind of good excuse for it you have to hand it in to the office upon arrival and collect it when you leave.

The point about research isn't something I have ever heard of before. If online research was necessary then I assume the class would take place in a room with computers, or that every student had been supplied with a laptop/chromebook/iPad from the school to use for this purpose.
 
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What age range?

Senior? Primary?

I didn't get a phone until the 1st year of senior school (year 7).

The policy was in lesson they stayed in your pocket and if you were caught on it, the teacher had it off you or sent you to the head if you refused.
 
Just another ridiculous waste of time throwing red meat to some ignorant members of the base. Makes it sound like kids are wandering around school attached to their phones all day which they absolutely are not: schools have rules and confiscate phones if kids break rules around their use.

Many don't allow their use at all, and sanctions are given out just for having them in school without special dispensation.

Source: wife's nearly 20 years in secondary teaching, some as supply teacher so had contact with many schools' phone policies.
I'd really recommend reading some of the previous posts in the O2 thread. I've personally had experiences where strictly no phones and very limited use of phones in classes but things can vary.
 
This is very much what I have seen pretty much across the board too. The most lenient policy I have seen is being allowed to carry them on site, but then must switch off and store in your locker throughout the day. I've seen others where they are completely banned on site and in the unlikely event you have some kind of good excuse for it you have to hand it in to the office upon arrival and collect it when you leave.

The point about research isn't something I have ever heard of before. If online research was necessary then I assume the class would take place in a room with computers, or that every student had been supplied with a laptop/chromebook/iPad from the school to use for this purpose.
I think it does make it different that I'm in unusual circumstances, technically I am not in a secondary school myself but I am studying for GCSEs this year etc at an education facility.

The general rule is no phones, but they are fine at breaks and they are fine if you need to make/receive an important phone call, listen to music when permitted or in certain situations, research.

It's quicker usually flicking on a phone and researching through there rather than having to turn on an underpowered Windows laptop, connected to awfully slow WiFi (with phones you can go to data and pray that O2 isn't overcapacity today) to research for 5 minutes or so.
 
So.. I have an 11 year old and he just got his first mobile phone. Yep. It's an iPhone. Bought a refurbed SE2. He is in the last year of primary school. The rule at his primary school. All the phones get collected up at the beginning of the day, taken to the school office and left there. At the end of the day the phones are returned to them.

In September he will be going to secondary school. We believe the rule there will be they can have their mobiles on them. However, if they take them out of their bag / pocket for whatever reason, even if just checking the time, the phone will be confiscated.

I agree, there is probably only a minority going round like zombies with their glued to their phones. However, they noticed how the phones were being used in a lot of the bad behaviour being seen. It was bad enough that were kids being bullied but they phones played a large role in that (filming, recording,organising - sometimes driving the bad behaviour - "to create content").

Since the new rule came in they have seen a big improvement in behaviour. In addition to setting rules on how the phones are used they have provided further activities at break times - one example being the computer suites being open to pupils to play certain games - Minecraft for example.

Phones could be useful - i.e. calendar - dates, setting homework, etc. But perhaps the same reason schools have uniforms is the same reason a lot have strict rules / expectations on how they will be used. So everyone is the same, equal chance?
 
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So.. I have an 11 year old and he just got his first mobile phone. Yep. It's an iPhone. Bought a refurbed SE2. He is in the last year of primary school. The rule at his primary school. All the phones get collected up at the beginning of the day, taken to the school office and left there. At the end of the day the phones are returned to them.

In September he will be going to secondary school. We believe the rule there will be they can have their mobiles on them. However, if they take them out of their bag / pocket for whatever reason, even if just checking the time, the phone will be confiscated.

I agree, there is probably only a minority going round like zombies with their glued to their phones. However, they noticed how the phones were being used in a lot of the bad behaviour being seen. It was bad enough that were kids being bullied but they phones played a large role in that (filming, recording,organising - sometimes driving the bad behaviour - "to create content").

Since the new rule came in they have seen a big improvement in behaviour. In addition to setting rules on how the phones are used they have provided further activities at break times - one example being the computer suites being open to pupils to play certain games - Minecraft for example.

Phones could be useful - i.e. calendar - dates, setting homework, etc. But perhaps the same reason schools have uniforms is the same reason a lot have strict rules / expectations on how they will be used. So everyone is the same, equal chance?
Yeah, sounds similar to my experiences regarding primary school.

Even inside or outside school however, phones will still contribute to bad behaviour. Take a look at the blue bubble/green bubble debate. I didn't even realise it was a thing in the UK but two members here mentioned that in the O2 thread and it's disgusting honestly.

And if we're going back to primary school stuff, I recall 6 parents being called in because of bullying online on the phones related to WhatsApp message exchanges (particularly regarding myself because I stand out a bit I guess)
 
I think it does make it different that I'm in unusual circumstances, technically I am not in a secondary school myself but I am studying for GCSEs this year etc at an education facility.

The general rule is no phones, but they are fine at breaks and they are fine if you need to make/receive an important phone call, listen to music when permitted or in certain situations, research.

It's quicker usually flicking on a phone and researching through there rather than having to turn on an underpowered Windows laptop, connected to awfully slow WiFi (with phones you can go to data and pray that O2 isn't overcapacity today) to research for 5 minutes or so.
Schools, FE colleges and other educational facilities are a quite different matter from each other and you mentioned specifically schools in the name of the topic hence my confusion.

Outside of schools I'd expect a more permissive environment with it assumed students will police themselves as those institutions will have a quite different cohort. Secondary schools are going to be 11-16 or 11-18, FE colleges 16+, others normally 18+.

My daughter's school had a blanket ban bar extenuating circumstances until sixth form. Given students have no 'free' periods for independent learning until sixth form that seems about right to me, either not permitted in school at all or no use at all permitted until sixth form. No valid reason for the 11-16 cohort to be using phones for 'research' or anything else as part of their tuition.

The lack of content filtering at your institution raises eyebrows, though. Even universities filter content let alone schools and FE colleges.
 
Outside of schools I'd expect a more permissive environment with it assumed students will police themselves as those institutions will have a quite different cohort. Secondary schools are going to be 11-16 or 11-18, FE colleges 16+, others normally 18+.
Yeah, once in college (16+) the rules changed massively. Back when I was there it was optional to continue eductation. I remember the first time someone's phone went off the tutor set the rule along the lines of "If you want to use your phone that's fine. But put it in silent and leave the room to make a call. If you want to distract your own learning that's fine, but we won't accept you distracting others" Zero issues with leaving it out in the classroom, sending a quick text, or connecting headphones to listen to music.

Huge difference from secondary education where you weren't even allowed to carry your phone in your pocket. But probably a good thing especially when I went to school in the era of 'Happy Slapping' - The whole reason why the rules got much stricter in the first place.
 
Outside of schools I'd expect a more permissive environment with it assumed students will police themselves as those institutions will have a quite different cohort. Secondary schools are going to be 11-16 or 11-18, FE colleges 16+, others normally 18+.

My daughter's school had a blanket ban bar extenuating circumstances until sixth form. Given students have no 'free' periods for independent learning until sixth form that seems about right to me, either not permitted in school at all or no use at all permitted until sixth form. No valid reason for the 11-16 cohort to be using phones for 'research' or anything else as part of their tuition.
My understanding the rule for my son's new school also includes 6th form. It also applies to teachers of sorts I believe, they should not be using their phones either where at all possible. So an example is set from the top. I think its a good idea.

It seems not just about stopping the use of phones. The impression I got was that it was to change to the culture, for the school to be more inclusive / more everyone looking out for other - what I liked was the extra provision of other activities in breaks to make up for people not being on their phones.
 
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Its easy to say Ban, and it does gain some traction among a certain demographc - we never had phones in my day, or the internet and if its causing an issue then lets ban it to show we are doing something.

The problem is the cat is out of the bag so to speak.
A full outright ban on posessing a phone will not work, but a ban on their use without permission during school hours could work, as possibly some sort of age verification on social media, but going for some meaningful control measure would require pragmatism and hard work.
Its much easier to shout ban than it is to deal with the real issues and if ban gtes traction with your target audience then ban it will be and be damned with the consequencies
 
Giving phones to my kids was an enormous mistake.
I think we've lost them now. They used to play, run around, now it's daddy .. can I have my phone. If answer == yes it's fine, they play on them but when it's time to stop then come the tears, the crying the hitting. If answer == no, then its crying screaming, moods.

Do I want my kid to have a phone at school? This is a tough one. I've always though having a phone is a good idea, for emergencies. Do I think that my kid is likely to abuse this and just play games at every opportunity or get it confiscated ? yes.

It's really not so simple to answer if it's a good thing or not. All I can say as a parent is, I wish I had never ever given my kids a phone each. I know it was only a matter of time, but I wish I had waited. Right now, they get 1 hour of phones and then they get locked. Sometimes, I have to remotely lock them (because they won't give them up)
 
Giving phones to my kids was an enormous mistake.
I think we've lost them now. They used to play, run around, now it's daddy .. can I have my phone. If answer == yes it's fine, they play on them but when it's time to stop then come the tears, the crying the hitting. If answer == no, then its crying screaming, moods.

Do I want my kid to have a phone at school? This is a tough one. I've always though having a phone is a good idea, for emergencies. Do I think that my kid is likely to abuse this and just play games at every opportunity or get it confiscated ? yes.

It's really not so simple to answer if it's a good thing or not. All I can say as a parent is, I wish I had never ever given my kids a phone each. I know it was only a matter of time, but I wish I had waited. Right now, they get 1 hour of phones and then they get locked. Sometimes, I have to remotely lock them (because they won't give them up)
That's exactly the thing that horrors me.
My kids are too young to have phones, but I see a similar behaviour in friends and family children.

Once the phone is out of the bag it's like a veil is pulled, kid just goes unresponsive as if the brain's sucked into the device, instead of doing childhood things. I see this even with more disciplined parents who waited out until the kid turned 13-14.

About having a phone in school for emergencies, I always thought when time comes I could compromise and just give them a good old dumb Nokia phone which can only do SMS and calls.

But then you run into other issues, like bullying because they don't have the latest Iphone. So which of these bad things is even worse at that point?
Seems like a lose-lose situation and we're going to fsck the kids up in the process (just like our parents did to us, just differently lol).
 
That's exactly the thing that horrors me.
My kids are too young to have phones, but I see a similar behaviour in friends and family children.
It is seriously one of my biggest regrets as a parent. They reached the age when other kids around them were playing games, the eldest would pop round a friends house and play nintendo for hours. So we figured we would give them what they wanted but be very strict about use and how long/when etc. Homework first, then 1 hour of phones but only if behaviour has been good.

If I could go back and say one thing to my younger self, (besides buy bitcoin) it would be don't give them phones. If parents are giving kids phones, controlling their use, and not having to deal with meltdowns because no phones, then my hat goes off to them. I like to think my kids are well disciplined, but the tantrums over no phones is one of the worst things we've had to deal with.
 
Giving phones to my kids was an enormous mistake.
I think we've lost them now. They used to play, run around, now it's daddy .. can I have my phone. If answer == yes it's fine, they play on them but when it's time to stop then come the tears, the crying the hitting. If answer == no, then its crying screaming, moods.

Do I want my kid to have a phone at school? This is a tough one. I've always though having a phone is a good idea, for emergencies. Do I think that my kid is likely to abuse this and just play games at every opportunity or get it confiscated ? yes.

It's really not so simple to answer if it's a good thing or not. All I can say as a parent is, I wish I had never ever given my kids a phone each. I know it was only a matter of time, but I wish I had waited. Right now, they get 1 hour of phones and then they get locked. Sometimes, I have to remotely lock them (because they won't give them up)
Haven't looked at this thread lately but I was lucky enough to see my niece over the weekend. She's 9.

I've had people concerned about my usage habits on these forums but I think my niece is actually obsessed with her phone (a hand me down Samsung A9). I think she has the idea that she wants to become a TikTok star or something using dances that other people have done and over the weekend, she must have tried to create about 15 unlisted/private shorts to YouTube (most of which got rejected due to upload limits thankfully for new accounts). It scares me how much unrestricted access she has. Sure, when I was 9, I hardly had any parental controls but the worst thing I probably ever did was try to buy AVG Antivirus using my mum's PayPal 😂

When we were having lunch on Saturday before they went at a Korean restaurant, she wanted to try and find the WiFi password. Thankfully, they didn't have public WiFi, no real need for them to anyways considering mobile coverage is excellent (200mbps 5G from O2 a week or so ago) and there's BT public WiFi throughout the city centre. I would imagine if she was connected to WiFi, she would have just been scrolling through YouTube or playing Roblox.
 
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Honestly I'm concerned that kids are just being thrown an iPad to watch Cocomelon these days. It's honestly shocking that I'm concerned being a gen Z tech nerd, but here I am.

I dread the moment when my niece gets a SIM, I thought she did have one when I initially saw the phone since Samsung shows signal bars for no SIM for some reason 😂
 
Honestly I'm concerned that kids are just being thrown an iPad to watch Cocomelon these days. It's honestly shocking that I'm concerned being a gen Z tech nerd, but here I am.

I dread the moment when my niece gets a SIM, I thought she did have one when I initially saw the phone since Samsung shows signal bars for no SIM for some reason 😂
Wait until she finds about hotspot, since you have unlimited data 😅
 
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