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Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

theguardian.com

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Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#11

Post by grecy »

leohonexus wrote: post #9

I 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…

As long as the phone is locked, surely mere teachers can't force a student to unlock it.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#12

Post by jwagenet »

wafflemaker wrote: post #8

I 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.

A smartphone isn’t just a calendar and todo list. I don’t think even blocking just social media is enough in schools as the devices offer plenty of other distractions.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#13

Post by Mali- »

wafflemaker wrote: post #8

I 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.

You're describing the improper use of any tool. I would have liked to bring a penknife to school to sharpen pencils, but it's probably good that they were banned.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#15

Post by multjoy »

leohonexus wrote: post #9

I 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…

The school has broad powers to regulate student behaviour. Part 7 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#16

Post by grecy »

candiddevmike wrote: post #2

What was the impetus for schools to become "smartphone-friendly"? In the 00s, phones/smartphones in class weren't a thing.

Our society isn't equipped to handle new developments like this, and they "just happen" before anyone gives much thought to whether they will lead to bad outcomes down the road.

When an immigrant who was handcuffed and tazed subsequently died in Canada, the investigation started asking questions about the use of tazers. They wanted to see the testing and data that showed they were not lethal or long-term harmful for use on humans.

It turns out no such testing had ever been done. Companies just started making them, so Police forces started buying them and using them on people. To this day there is no data about the consequences of using them.

Same thing for smartphones in schools and a TON of other things in our world.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#17

Post by leohonexus »

grecy wrote: post #11
leohonexus wrote: post #9

I 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…

As long as the phone is locked, surely mere teachers can't force a student to unlock it.

That an official government document explicitly mentioning that school staff is allowed to search a device without law enforcement (either being present, or authorized by warrant) is problematic in and of itself.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#18

Post by ben_w »

rubymamis wrote: post #3

I believe that, in retrospect, these schoolchildren will greatly appreciate this decision.

I can see it going either way.

A century ago in the US, a lot of support for Prohibition came from the impact of liquor, yet Prohibition itself also banned beer.

I can very easily believe that the backlash against dark patterns, against deliberately addictive apps (games and social media), against advertising getting squeezed into what would otherwise be normal conversations, against the surveillance that currently manifests as GDPR cookie popups because almost everyone both corporate and government would rather annoy people than stop snooping, may well lead to a new Prohibition on all such things.

But will this new Prohibition throw out the baby with the bathwater? Smartphones do a lot of genuinely useful things.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#19

Post by gibolt »

cedws wrote: post #10

My 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.

As much as I agree, teachers aren't really paid well, don't regularly get any training to improve their teaching, and don't have time at the end of the day to make efforts to improve the next day.

Even the best teachers won't be engaging to some of their students.

Re: Group of 17 London secondary schools join up to go smartphone-free

#20

Post by jventura »

cedws wrote: post #10

My 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.

Professor here (not UK-based nor K12)! I try my best to engage students with the material I create, but students must also have an inner motivation to learn (be it to have a better future, to create more opportunities for themselves, etc.).

Oh, I would also like to earn a little bit more, at least the same as a junior or mid-level developer! I have MSc students earning as much as me, with 1/10 of my experience (that's why I'm teaching them). I like to teach, but damn, I would like to be equally compensated! :)

It's a two-way street..

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