Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
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Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#2What was the impetus for schools to become "smartphone-friendly"? In the 00s, phones/smartphones in class weren't a thing.
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#3I believe that, in retrospect, these schoolchildren will greatly appreciate this decision.
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#4The Netherlands already banned smartphones from schools since January 1st 2024
https://www.iamexpat.nl/education/education-news/netherlands...
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#5My kids' school district with 10k students has a no phones policy. Kids have to check them at the door, if they bring them.
https://berkeleyhighjacket.com/2023/news/bhs-teachers-unify-...
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#6What was the impetus for schools to become "smartphone-friendly"? In the 00s, phones/smartphones in class weren't a thing.
Getting caught using one (at least with stricter teachers) meant it was taken from you and you got it back at the end of class or even better, your parents picked it up from the principal. YMMV, but that's how it was in Poland in 2005.
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#7What was the impetus for schools to become "smartphone-friendly"? In the 00s, phones/smartphones in class weren't a thing.
I suspect they first became mobile phone friendly. Dumbphones provided kids a way to communicate with parents and the worst distraction would be kids wanting to play snake and/or texting little messages to each other on their T9 keyboards.
But once smartphones came around they replaced those dumbphones and snuck in through the same policies, but in reality they're a completely different category from dumbphones.
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#8I know it would complicate things a lot, but are we sure it's smartphones and not social media / "not educational" websites being the issue?
If I had a phone with calendar and a to do list, when at school, I might have fared better.
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#9I was curious about the legal grounds that schools have to confiscate student's phones for up to a week, and I found this document from the UK government:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62d1643e8fa8f...
Some things that concern me:
- Page 19: Staff may examine any data or files on an electronic device they have confiscated as a result of a search, as defined in paragraph 57, if there is good reason to do so.
- Page 20: In determining whether there is a ‘good reason’ to examine the data or files, the member of staff should reasonably suspect that the data or file on the device has been, or could be used, to cause harm, undermine the safe environment of the school and disrupt teaching, or be used to commit an offence.
It also doesn't seem to lay out a limit on the duration for which a device can be confiscated - which makes confiscation for a week look a bit like a grey area to me. Would love to hear from anyone with more experience on this area.
Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free
#10My schooling experience (in London, less than 10 years ago) was a waste of time. If they want students to be engaged, make the material engaging.