Mobile Phones in schools

[kenyancowgirl]

Agreed. I also wonder why the OP feels it is a school responsibility particularly - where is the parent in all this? If you don’t like them, don’t get your child one.

They certainly have their uses - especially in very rural areas - which our school is surrounded by - where public transport is pants and roads are dark and unwalkable. They are brilliant in school trips for quickly recording information that would otherwise be forgotten. They are also used in real life a lot to access information. I’ve lost count for eg of how many times our gp has looked info up and printed it off for us to take away - using smart technology.

They are the new “modern foreign language” and as our Head is fond of saying to new y7s: a school responsibility is to prepare you for the jobs you will be doing in 10 years time - many of which don’t even exist now.

(edited for the terrible typo errors!!)

[loobylou]

I think there are negatives with smart phones.
I do think parents have to be mindful of how much their children are using them and help their children navigate social media.
I'm lucky in that my children maybe post on social media six times a year? but for others it does seem am issue.
But I think this is a parental issue not a school one.
In other ways phones are so useful.

[turnip08]

Agree, banning outright is not the way to go, but limiting use so that mobiles are not used for gaming/social media etc during break time is definitely sensible and there is no doubt that allowing mobiles during school time (and I don't mean during lessons etc) is inhibiting playing outside/socialising. I know parents who have kids at schools that allow phones virtually at all times (they're unhappy with it), others who limit use (i.e. mobiles switched off during the school day but they're allowed to check mobiles quickly for messages a couple of times per day).

I still maintain that it is useful to get used to not being attached to a mobile all the time - that goes for grown-ups too! - and having a mobile next to you in your bedroom can't be a good thing, especially for teenagers. I sent my DC walking to school in Y6 without a mobile - other parents couldn't believe it - but during most of humanity, kids (and adults) have happily moved around without being 'in contact'. They survived.

[Surferfish]

Agreed. I also wonder why the OP feels it is a school responsibility particularly - where is the parent in all this? If you don’t like them, don’t get your child one.

I think perhaps the OP was concerned about "dangerous radiation" from hundreds of mobiles concentrated in the school rather than just the one their own DC may or may not have?

[quasimodo]

I recall this thread from a couple of years back. The dangers I was referring to were completely different to the ones referred to by the OP on this thread and to which I am at odds.

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