Secondary schools begin banning mobile phones

[Martin-O2]

Hey everyone, 

Some interesting mobile news this week where secondary schools in the UK are beginning to ban mobile phones. The bans are not restricted to the classrooms with pupils expected to had in their phones in the morning and not getting them back until the end of the school day. 

A study by Harvard Business Review found that even if a mobile is in your pocket it's still a distraction and those in the study who switched off their phones and left them in another room had “statistically significant” improvements in concentration and cognitive ability. 

Latymer Upper school in west London has banned mobiles for all children up to the end of their GCSE year and have found the effect very positive with pupils playing outside and socialising with each other more then before! 

What are your thoughts on banning mobiles during the entire school day? Do you think it's overkill or a good step forward? 

Do you have any mobile bans at home such as during meal times? Let us know! 

[ComaChameleon]

Back to the roots.

Here there are forbidden in general - same intention as that idea now, just that pupils smuggle them in.

And they're right about distraction. If you think about yourself "was this a vibration?" "who wrote this text, let's have a look" etc

I even know it being at a patient and getting texts, it's really distracting me and catchs my attention instead of my anamnesis - which should in that moment get my full attention.

[jonsie]

They are banning them in September in France and some interesting viewpoints here ::

https://www.tes.com/news/should-uk-follow-frances-lead-and-ban-all-mobile-phones-all-schools

I can see both sides here but certainly in lower schools they should be banned. Kids will find ways round it but to me, the answer would be a signal blocker in school.

[Cleoriff]

My views are a bit old school.

Kids do not need mobile phones when they are in an educational environment.

I can't think of one thing they would learn from by having them in the class.

That's it. Perfectly simple.

I didn't have one. My sons didn't have them. Their kids have got them but not allowed in the classroom.

A good way of learning that FB, Instagram and Whatsapp aren't tools for receiving an education

[Martin-O2]

@ComaChameleon Yeah once I feel that vibration I'm distracted until I can check to see what the notification is! I used to be a lot worse though but turned off all notifications for social media a few years back so it's only messages and calls now. Definitely feel better for it. 

@jonsie Some interesting opinions in that article! Thanks for sharing. I can see the argument for teaching kids to use them more responsibly and to utilise them as part of the lesson. Mobiles are not going anywhere so it makes sense to teach responsible use but I think I lean more towards @Cleoriff's view that there more of a distraction then a leaning tool and we all got on fine without them in the past. 

[Glory1]

I'm with @Cleoriff and @ComaChameleon. Mobile phones are a distraction. And kids will not use them responsibly but check their emails, Instagram, Whatsapp, FB, Messenger etc. They'll message back and forth and pay no attention to what the teacher is saying.

That's just what kids are like, easily distracted particularly if it's something they find more interesting then their lessons.

So, yes, ban mobile phones from school premises.

[sheepdog]

The problem is with parents. The argument about being "available in case of emergencies so they have to have one" is a bit stupid when kids are prone to theft from peers because they end up buying the childs choice of phone thus creating a vicious cycle  (On contract then come on here to moan about the bill.... )

By all means, give them a phone but make it a simple phone so there is less opportunity to engage in social media/messaging. They certainly don't need a top of the range model because there is no educational need to have one. If the schools can effectively state what uniform should be worn then why can't they make it a rule to bar anything but a simple phone?

I don't find the point of view a compelling reason hat they are an education resource because the school lacks the equipment. In a pinch, I will use my phone to look at something at work (as in I can't view at work because the company has blocked it for security reasons. Oddly cat videos are not) so I personally find it interesting to see what complexity a school has in order to allow personal devices for educational puposes. Or my more cyncial view is that teachers are finding ways to avoid teaching by using the generic "Google it".

[Cleoriff]

Just who 'has to be available in the case of an emergency' though?

If your child has an accident at school, the school will inform the parent.

If the parent needs to get in touch with their little darlings to say they won't be there to pick them up due to work/ golf/ traffic etc etc etc...then the parents ring the school and pass the message on?

[jonsie]

---

@Cleoriff wrote:

Just who 'has to be available in the case of an emergency' though?

If your child has an accident at school, the school will inform the parent.

If the parent needs to get in touch with their little darlings to say they won't be there to pick them up due to work/ golf/ traffic etc etc etc...then the parents ring the school and pass the message on?

---

All good points, including your last post and the post by @sheepdog

No arguments from me, there is nothing that can't wait until after school and up until that point any pupil is the responsibility of the schol. We've all been brain washed into thinking we can't do without a smartphone in our hand. This is progress?

[Cleoriff]

I love progress. I may be old but am absolutely delighted at all types of innovation and anything which makes 'this world a better place'

Mobile phones aren't part of that when given to children at school. It's simply peer pressure. 'Oh Mum so and so and so and so take theirs to school, why can't I?'

Just the same as them using emotional blackmail to have the very latest trainers, clothes, bigger and better birthday parties etc etc etc.

Many of today's kids have lost the art of conversation, unless its via social media.

They have no idea what it's like to come home from school, get changed, go out on their bikes and play with their mates.

Yes, I know times have changed blah blah blah.....even so a mobile phone is not a necessity, its a bonus.