Banning mobiles in schools or clutching at straws?

I’m so sorry to hear that GrannyGravy. My GC attend a local comprehensive school (no lockers in which to store stuff by the way). Mobile phones are allowed in school but must be switched off / silent during lessons. Anyone using a phone during lessons has the phone confiscated, parents informed, and parents must pick up phone at end of school day. It works!

The problem started when mobile phones became 'smart phones'. No problem with having just a phone to ring or text each other, but once you turn them into pocket computers with internet access then it changes the world. And makes them very desirable to kids of course.

I agree, keep them in lockers or bags and confiscate if not. Lovely idea to make the parents collect the phone as it highlights the problem and makes it less likely to happen again.

Disposable vapes should never have been made in the first place, just like disposable plastic. We are always closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

They are saying here that vapes are more harmful to your health than cigarettes because no one knows what is in them . I tend to believe them. We were on holiday about the time Covid stsrted and there were 2 GPs vaping next door to us. At that stage vapes were illegal here so I had never seen them. They were enthusiastically saying how good they were, better than smoking! What hope with professionals like that?

GrannyGravy13

If it wasn’t for one of our GC having their mobile phone with them at school, we wouldn’t have known that they had been sevubeaten up and hiding in the toilets too frightened to move…

One of my grandchildren has one for exactly the same reason. there are no school buses and it gives them confidence to make the long walk home. Mum is busy picking up smaller siblings in the opposite direction.
They did disobey rules and had them on in the class and took a video of children throwing chairs around at pupils and staff then showed at home. It gave parents the proof to prove what they had said was true and something was done about it.
Unfortunately they are not allowed in the toilets now because the older children are vaping.
This is not an inner city school but a market town that is often held up as a lovely place to live.

..........had them on in the class and took a video of children throwing chairs around at pupils and staff then showed at home. It gave parents the proof to prove what they had said was true and something was done about it.

From what I hear goes on in some schools I really believe there should be cctv cameras in every classroom. It would discourage bad behaviour and protect teachers and pupils from unruly kids.

If all Keegan can find to do is ban mobile phones in schools when there is a funding crisis and the RAAC problem then she isn't paying attention. Most state schools ban them anyway. Does her big idea extend to the public/private schools? As someone said they could also be banned in Parliamentary sittings to avoid embarrassing events.