Phones for children going to high school

gjchester

Has the OP checked the schools mobiles policy?

It could be moot if the school has a no mobile ban in place, as the phone would either have to be at home or in a locker most of the time.

Exhortation

gjchester wrote: »

Has the OP checked the schools mobiles policy?

It could be moot if the school has a no mobile ban in place, as the phone would either have to be at home or in a locker most of the time.

Although I agree that mobiles SHOULD be banned from schools (and all places of education, actually), any school that does have a mobile phone ban in place could end up facing an action for breach of civil liberties. My wife is a lecturer for Bournemouth University and she isn't alllowed to ask her students to switch their phones off for just this reason.

xbrenx

Our school *bans* phones but the kids all take them in anyway. One point to remember is, if a child needs to phone home the school has land lines. It amazes me that parents suddenly think their child will be uncontactable.

They are not allowed to use them in lessons, I believe even during breaks that texts are sneaked out, the use of mobiles in school is never encouraged by the teachers.

Most of the time a message arrives during school, the whole class laugh because they know it's the child's mum!

macman

My wife is a lecturer for Bournemouth University and she isn't alllowed to ask her students to switch their phones off for just this reason

But students at Bournemouth University are not children, they are presumably 18+ and adults.

prettypennies

I have checked with the school and although the 'official line' is no phones in school, they understand that parents and children do sometimes need to contact each other. The deputy at the open evening advised that any phones brought out during lesson time would be confiscated, which I whole-heartedly agree with obviously, but they accept that most children will be carrying a phone to allow parents to contact them should they need to.

My main concern is that they can get hold of me should they have any problems surrounding catching the school bus. Apparently it has been know to turn up late, not turn up at all, or be full at times.

I have had a look a the Giff Gaff site. Looks quite interesting (if a little confusing!), though I think I might stick with orange PAYG for now.

Rikki

I wonder when we became so phone dependent. My parents didn't even have a land line when I was at school. Now we can't live without one.

I wonder if it is something your children aren't pestering for I don't think I'd bother.

I'd never contact my children at school and would only expect to be contacted except in an emergency from the school. I wouldn't want a call 'I've forgotten my PE kit, please bring it in.'

Exhortation

macman wrote: »

My wife is a lecturer for Bournemouth University and she isn't alllowed to ask her students to switch their phones off for just this reason

But students at Bournemouth University are not children, they are presumably 18+ and adults.

Are you suggesting that children are entitled to less civil liberties than adults?

macman

I'm not suggesting anything. And I'm not aware of any human rights legislation that allows people universal mobile phones usage, whether children or adult.
Plenty of places don't allow them to be used-hospitals, libraries...
I fail to see why your wife cannot request her students (purely as a courtesy of course, and on a voluntary basis) to switch off their phones (or switch them to silent) during classes?
Children at school have an entirely different legal status, as they're under loco parentis, which adults at university are not.

Exhortation

macman wrote: »

I fail to see why your wife cannot request her students (purely as a courtesy of course, and on a voluntary basis) to switch off their phones (or switch them to silent) during classes?

Beleive me, she used to try but it got to the point where she was banging her head against a brick wall. Common courtesy isn't as common as many of us would like to think, unfortunately.

Just a few weeks ago, she was invigilating in an exam and one of the studets made a big fuss of having to leave her new iPhone 4 with my wife at the front of the room, all but saying my wife was intending to steal it.

molerat

macman wrote: »

My wife is a lecturer for Bournemouth University and she isn't alllowed to ask her students to switch their phones off for just this reason

But students at Bournemouth University are not children, they are presumably 18+ and adults.

I would dispute the use of that term. Legally maybe but in reality you have got to be kidding.:rotfl: