mobile phones in schools - yay or nay?

Ergates

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Teachers certainly have a problem with students that are allowed to have them in school using them in class when they are not supposed to, according to my friend the secondary school teacher.


The students then play the "I need it for emergencies" card like many here advocate if confiscation is threatened, disrupting the class further.

That is a discipline and procedures problem though, not a problem with the devices themselves. If pupils are caught mucking about with the fire-extinguishers, is the correct response to remove all the fire extinguishers? If pupils are using their pens to write on the desks, is the correct response to remove their pens? No, clearly not. The school would deal with it as a problem with pupil behavior and not as a problem with the object itself.

If kids are playing with their phones in class, confiscate them and they can have them back at the end of the day. Give them detention. Give them extra work. Send a letter home. Take away privileges. There are dozens of ways to deal with the problem that don't involve a total ban.

selement

Phones should be switched off and kept in bags during the school day. Would a ban involve bag checks or just the kids have to hide their phones better? I think a mutual understanding of they can have them but should pretend they don't is probably best for everyone! That way they still have phone 'for emergencies' and journey to/from school but school can be strict if the kids are having them out in lessons

Fireflyaway

I managed ok before mobile phones! However my daughter is in secondary school now and I like her to take her phone in case I'm stuck in traffic and will be late getting home or vice versa.
I don't believe phones should be in the classroom though. It's a distraction and disrespectful.