Mobile phones in schools

[PTR 444]

This is a regularly contested topic, and one that usually makes the news whenever there is a proposal to ban mobile phones in schools. Most children now own a smartphone and use it as a staple of their lives, whether for good or bad. They have great potential to be useful learning devices, but at the same time can hinder progress during lessons. Here is a list of pros and cons of allowing smartphones to be used in schools, and opportunities to eliminate those risks.

Pros:

• Provides opportunities for pupils to engage with technology in a productive way
• Prepares pupils for digital-focused careers
• Useful for teaching pupils about the dangers of the internet
• Can save schools money by not needing to maintain desktop technology
• Eliminates the need for schools to update physical textbooks
• With proper filtering, schools can block inappropriate sites

Cons:

• Pupils are often distracted by games and social media
• Even when not being used, noise from calls and text messages are another cause of distraction
• Can be a cause of bullying if some pupils own more expensive devices
• Pupils can access inappropriate sites if using mobile data
• Excessive screen time can lead to mental and physical health problems
• Can hinder work-life balance if pupils use the same device for home and school.

The way I see it, many of the cons can be eliminated by better regulation of the internet in general, whether on a school, local or national level. Think about it, the internet is in the same stage now as motoring was about a century ago when fatal accidents were commonplace. The smartphone has only been in existence for 17 years, which in the greater scheme of things isn’t a very long time. As time goes on, I believe that more laws will be introduced to make the internet safer for all, to the point that the benefits of pupils using smartphones in schools will outweigh the risks. Even if schools aren’t comfortable with pupils using their own personal devices, I can imagine many will encourage them to borrow school-owned devices in lessons as part of the curriculum, particularly important to prepare children for the digital world of the future.

 

[PGAT]

My school bans phones being used on site, but we don’t give them to reception or anything so in practice people just use them in the toilets or hidden behind someone’s back. Its really not that big of a deal

 

[cb a1]

Pretty much of of those pros and cons apply to adults in the workplace too.
To an extent, school is a microcosm of the workplace and a probably unwritten objective of the UK schooling system is to prepare children for the workplace.
We need to educate children on when and how to use their phones.
I reckon I've seen more older people using their phones inappropriately in the workplace than younger people.
I'm in my 50s and must admit that I have found myself in situations like boring presentations at conferences getting my phone out to play games, browse the Internet, etc.

 

[75A]

I worked for BT and the Engineers & Managers all had iphones provided by the Company for work use.

 

[Huntergreed]

I’m a recently qualified teacher, and I use mobile phones as a learning tool on a very regular basis in my lessons (and I know I’m not the only teacher in my school who does this!) - For that reason, I’m against banning the possession of phones.

That said, unauthorised phone use is a real problem in schools at the moment, and I would struggle to count on both hands the number of reprimands I have to issue for phone use on a daily basis! I don’t believe the solution is an outright ban though.

The concerns about internet safety are serious and justified, but this isn’t something that school alone can easily tackle. Young people are going to find a way to access this content and, barring stricter regulation, there’s very little that can prevent this. We do a lot at our school to try and encourage safe phone and internet use, but realistically not all pupils are going to follow our recommendations.

To an extent, school is a microcosm of the workplace and a probably unwritten objective of the UK schooling system is to prepare children for the workplace.
We need to educate children on when and how to use their phones.

I agree with this. Our school policy on inappropriate phone use is a warning in the first instance, followed by confiscation and a consequence on a repeat offence. In practice, this does work to an extent, but it definitely isn’t solving the problem.

 

[OscarH]

The issue I had with my schools policy back in 2013-2017, which was banned anywhere on school grounds including break/lunch (not to/from school - how any school think they have the right to dictate what people do off the grounds out of hours is beyond me ) , was that the punishment was taken till the end of the day for the first offence, then taken until the end of the week for second offence onwards.

Firstly, taking it including the time outside of school is out of their jurisdiction in my eyes, if they want to require handing it to reception the rest of the week and collected at the end of the day sure. And secondly, 90% of the pupils got the train to school. It was actively a safety issue to be taking peoples phones away for their journeys home

 

[pokemonsuper9]

My school bans phones being used on site, but we don’t give them to reception or anything so in practice people just use them in the toilets or hidden behind someone’s back. Its really not that big of a deal

Was very much like that in my high school, only very repeat offenders were forced to hand their phones in.
College is obviously very different, with phone use in lesson often only being responded to with a "put that phone away".

 

[Energy]

Leave it up to schools to decide themselves. No need for the government to lean in and force a ban when schools know what works best for the individual school.

 

[richw]

My teenagers school allow them at breaks etc, and some teachers actually make positive use of them for learning. There are some apps they use for educational purposes during lessons and the school doesn’t have enough iPads to go round, so it’s beneficial to the school for children to use their own personal devices

 

[renegademaster]

As someone who works in education , the problem with soft policies where teachers can allow their use during lesson is firstly theirs no propper way to guarantee someone is actually using it for what they are getting told to do, someone uses it take photos inside the classroom, often as part of cyberbullying and creates some big scandal that looks bad for SLT. Secondly, it makes the job for the teachers who don't want phones out much harder, and breeds resentment towards those teachers.


"You can have it on you but not in class" but not in class policies work when theirs actual consequences(1 time caught, gone for a day, 2 , gone for a week etc) for them getting caught. If its only a slap on the wrist, or a school with lots of behaviour difficulties , teachers will be spending half the lesson time keeping students off tiktok.

As time goes on, I believe that more laws will be introduced to make the internet safer for all,

The level of censorship youd need to keep children from getting distracted during lessons and stop cyberbullying being be a thing is never going to happen.

 

[richw]

gone for a week

There are many safeguarding reasons why you shouldn’t be taking it for longer than the end of the day.
In some areas their bus passes are on m tickets, or they need to travel by train home, or even walking home their phone could be a saver if something happened.

 

[yorkie]

My vote would be for:

Yes, except for the journey to/from school

The closest match also had "- they must be handed in at reception" but that's not practicable to have hundreds of phones dropped off at reception every day!

I believe most secondary schools have a policy that they should be left off, and not be seen or heard, during the school day, but can be kept in pupils bags, if they want to do that.

Allowing their use at break times would be problematic and lead to many incidents of bullying etc; are those who voted for this option prepared to pay for increased staffing to cope with the fallout?

As for the option that says:

should be allowed to use school-owned devices as part of lessons

I don't quite understand this option; it is - and has been for decades - the case that almost all schools (except Steiner schools!) would have at least some lessons where school owned devices would be provided for students to use, whether that be a desktop PC, laptop or tablet device. It is highly unlikely to be a smartphone device, however.

 

[Mike395]

It wouldn't be cheap - but for secondary level at least, could there be a set of tiny lockers (a bit like the ones you see in shopping centres etc but on a much larger scale) that students are expected to put their phone in at the start of the day and retrieve at the end (perhaps with power too, though not essential), with access restricted in the school day? Would also mean there would be a designated place for e.g. confiscated phones to go.

 

[yorkie]

It wouldn't be cheap - but for secondary level at least, could there be a set of tiny lockers (a bit like the ones you see in shopping centres etc but on a much larger scale) that students are expected to put their phone in at the start of the day and retrieve at the end (perhaps with power too, though not essential), with access restricted in the school day? Would also mean there would be a designated place for e.g. confiscated phones to go.

I suspect most if not all schools do provide multipurpose lockers, which absolutely could be used to store mobile phones, as well as something like a PE kit or coat etc. However it is optional, so the number of lockers in existence is probably a fair bit smaller than the number of school attendees. Making it mandatory for phones would, as you say, probably incur a cost in terms of providing additional lockers. But it would be possible.

As for where confiscated phones go, the answer would be in a school office; likely the same place where students would be signing out from if they had to leave early.

 

[renegademaster]

There are many safeguarding reasons why you shouldn’t be taking it for longer than the end of the day.
In some areas their bus passes are on m tickets, or they need to travel by train home, or even walking home their phone could be a saver if something happened.

The policy becomes essentially unenforceable otherwise. Its very common policy.
The alternative would be using isolation willy nilly to punish, which for obvious reasons schools will be very apprehensive to do.

 

[richw]

The policy becomes essentially unenforceable otherwise. Its very common policy.
The alternative would be using isolation willy nilly to punish, which for obvious reasons schools will be very apprehensive to do.

Taking until the end of the day, perhaps having them handed in the next morning as part of the punishment, but retaining them overnight isn’t acceptable and creates too many safeguard issues. But my experience of certain schools is that they are quite happy to fail safeguarding but the second a parent does something similar they’re quick to report them.

 

[sor]

I voted for "only during lessons".

I grew up in a rural area where the secondary school was shared by several villages, and my village was not the one the school was in, so I had a bus trip of 40+min through the middle of nowhere. There was no way I was going to not have my phone on me in case it was needed.

I don't think it should matter if kids use them at break times though. The school can put up as many disclaimers as it wants about lost/stolen/damaged phones & how it won't get involved with disputes. My school had a total ban on phones (think nokia 3310 era) and that was more or less what the kids did with the teachers turning more than a blind eye - even the most "goody two shoes" type would have a phone in their bag even if they never got it out on school grounds. Personally I'd have thought the group of smokers huddled within eyesight of the headmasters' office window was more of a problem!

In regards to lockers, that seems like quite a bottleneck. My school was on the smaller end of the scale and it was already a feat to ensure everyone was on the buses within a reasonable time. I can imagine that being a lot worse if people had to run to their lockers, or worse still, sign them in or out with a member of staff.

 

[yorkie]

I don't think it should matter if kids use them at break times though. The school can put up as many disclaimers as it wants about lost/stolen/damaged phones & how it won't get involved with disputes....

It's not so much about them becoming lost, damaged etc; it's more about the inevitable bullying incidents that would occur.

The idea that the school could avoid becoming involved in disputes, whether it be over misuse of phones, or theft on school grounds, on the basis of a disclaimer, is quite simply not tenable.

 

[bahnause]

In our schools, mobile phones may be confiscated in accordance with the school regulations if school activities are disrupted. It must be returned at the end of the lesson or school day. It is not permitted to confiscate and retain the mobile phone for a longer period of time, i.e. for several days. This would interfere excessively with the property of the pupil or the parent or guardian.

 

[sor]

It's not so much about them becoming lost, damaged etc; it's more about the inevitable bullying incidents that would occur.

The idea that the school could avoid becoming involved in disputes, whether it be over misuse of phones, or theft on school grounds, on the basis of a disclaimer, is quite simply not tenable.

I think it's only realistic. What happens when kids bring them in anyway - as likely today as they did in my school 20+ years ago - and stuff happens. Bullying can happen outside the school fence as well.

Ultimately the whole thing has only become newsworthy because the government is too busy not fixing actual problems. Most schools already have a mobile phone policy, the government's recommendation of a phone ban is not going to change anything.

 

[yorkie]

I think it's only realistic. What happens when kids bring them in anyway - as likely today as they did in my school 20+ years ago - and stuff happens. Bullying can happen outside the school fence as well.

You cannot entirely prevent incidents, but you can take all reasonable steps.

 

[renegademaster]

isn’t acceptable

Its been accepted at 100s of schools and is legal as schools have the right to confiscate, including permanently , anything that in the agreement the parent signed , designated as banned


Allowing effectively unrestricted mobile phone usage during lessons is a breach of safeguarding, some schools do instead where they make the parent drive up and collect the phone instead of keeping it a prolonged period of time

 

[PGAT]

I am strongly against the idea of everyone giving in their phones to reception as that’s now creating loads of opportunities for abuse

 

[renegademaster]

Some schools have lockers in the tutor room which theyll spend 10 minutes either side of the day

 

[bahnause]

Its been accepted at 100s of schools and is legal as schools have the right to confiscate, including permanently , anything that in the agreement the parent signed , designated as banned

Only as long as it is appropriate. The decision to confiscate the phone in relation to school rules has to be “reasonable in the circumstances”. They also have to consider the child’s welfare. Confiscating a phone for longer than a schoolday might be considered unsafe i.e. if needed for the way home (bus / train ticket, communication with parents). In many countries keeping a phone for a longer period of time would be illegal.

Schools already have numerous options for regulating the use of cell phones. The discussion is reminiscent of a diversionary tactic designed to divert attention from the actual problems in the school system.

 

[richw]

Its been accepted at 100s of schools and is legal as schools have the right to confiscate, including permanently , anything that in the agreement the parent signed , designated as banned

I suggest you review the legislation, along with the 100s of schools you mention. The legislation requires confiscation to be “reasonable”. Taking it for a longer term is unreasonable.
If the child’s bus or rail passes are on the phone you’d be leaving them unable to get home.
In other areas having a phone walking home is an insurance device, there are dangerous people about, and regularly reports in local media’s about people following school kids in an area.
Parents can track their child through where’s my phone maps etc.

 

[renegademaster]

In many countries keeping a phone for a longer period of time would be illegal.

We arent one of those countries though. As far as i am aware none of the schools who have that policy have had a successful case against them.


To be honest , i think requiring the parent to collect is a better policy. If they know the only consequence will be it getting taken and them being able to do the same tommorow , theyll just do it again. I know becaue i have worked places that operate like this , and have worked places that work more like the initial example.

The discussion is reminiscent of a diversionary tactic designed to divert attention from the actual problems in the school system.

Can you try not strawmanning me. I never said it was the biggest problem, but its also a substantial one that not be waved away.

and regularly reports in local media’s about people following school kids in an area.

Most of the violent incidents i hear about are children get robbed for their expensive smartphones.

 

[PeterC]

There are many safeguarding reasons why you shouldn’t be taking it for longer than the end of the day.
In some areas their bus passes are on m tickets, or they need to travel by train home, or even walking home their phone could be a saver if something happened.

I was wondering about online ticketing for home to schol transport.

 

[richw]

I was wondering about online ticketing for home to schol transport.

The schools won’t have considered this. When I was coach driving some of the best teachers had absolutely zero awareness of life skills outside of the school environment. I’d say very much on the ASD spectrum. Excellent on their subject, clueless on most other things

 

[trainJam]

Mobile telephones should be banned on school grounds only.
Phones should be in bags and switched off (or at least silenced).
(However, the majority of people at my school, including myself, kept phones on person (in blazer pocket) and used the phone to tell the time)

There were various consequences for breach of rules:

• Turn it off - no further action
• Confiscated for the lesson - collect at end - no further action
• Confiscated for the day, collect at a designated location (e.g. office) with a short after-school detention.

Unfortunately, there was an occasion where some students took photos of the teacher and shared them on a group chat. It was decided to detain the class indefinitely until all students who were on the group chat surrendered their phones for the images to be deleted. This does raise the issue of the extent of control of students' personal devices that schools should or should not have. At the time, I didn't think much of it. I suppose that if schools should have this control, then parents/students should think carefully about what they bring into school - perhaps only a cheap/older/separate "work" (although probably not financially viable or necessary, a bit overkill, for many) phone with almost nothing on it (although this might raise issues with peer pressure).

On school grounds, school devices should be used - for example, desktops/laptops/tablets e.g. for office applications as well as access to the school's network and (popular since lockdown) cloud storage/meeting systems.
Phone screens are too small for this (except perhaps for interactive quizzes e.g. "Kahoot!" which were done by some teachers, perhaps not officially allowed by school rules).

Once off school grounds, it should be fair game to use mobile phones - it may be necessary to contact parents or check travel info (or your favourite rail enthusiast websites ). Naturally, this may lead to issues such as loud music/games, lack of spacial awareness, bullying or even thefts (albeit rare, there were a few reported occasions in the school newsletter).