Banning mobiles in schools or clutching at straws?

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.

..........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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

Some schools insist that all mobiles are cheap, non iphones and must be switched off in class. This is also to prevent children being mugged outside school for the expensive iphones. Makes good sense.

Oreo

I think everyone can get behind the banning of disposable vapes, I think it should happen, whichever government is in power.Vaping was intended to get smokers off cigarettes not introduce a new generation to the joys of nicotine all packaged up like sweets.
On the mobile phone question, these should be kept in the lockers along with all their other stuff until lunchtime or home time.Many schools will already have tried this and it may or may not be working. If they were really banned in classrooms that would help.

I agree that everybody should get behind the banning of disposable vapes. Not only does it make them too cheap and accessible, but it’s adding considerably to the disposable plastics mountain. I think non disposable vapes have an important role to play in reducing smoking however.

The thing with vapes though is you don’t need to have nicotine or tobacco flavours. They can be zero or very low and have flavours like blueberry.
I agree about the none refillable ones as they are just another plastic item to add to all the rest in the world.

They should be made better to last. So should many other items.
This would necessitate them being more expensive of course but might deter kids and stop the plastic problem (and batteries)

sevubeaten 😡
severely beaten

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…

Have they nothing else more meaningful to discuss than mobile phones ?

I think everyone can get behind the banning of disposable vapes, I think it should happen, whichever government is in power.Vaping was intended to get smokers off cigarettes not introduce a new generation to the joys of nicotine all packaged up like sweets.
On the mobile phone question, these should be kept in the lockers along with all their other stuff until lunchtime or home time.Many schools will already have tried this and it may or may not be working. If they were really banned in classrooms that would help.

I guess it depends what kids are using their mobile phone for. Presumably it’s switched off or on silent unless it’s part of the lesson for research where there aren’t enough computers to go round. Or perhaps they are playing downloadable games on them or looking at porn with the mobile on silent? I can’t see that they will be used for safety reasons except on the way to or from school so yes they should be banned during school. If there is an emergency the school office can be contacted.

As for vaping the disposable ones are aimed at children. They are in colourful cases and have different attractive tastes. These should definitely be banned. All vapes are bad for your health but maybe adults should be permitted choice although I did read second hand inhaling of the vapour is as bad if not worse than cigarette smoke.

Mobiles aren't being 'banned'. It will be statutory 'guidance' apparently, which doesn't have to be followed.

Savvy schools have already banned them. The school I retired from 10 years ago banned them in lessons. It was instant confiscation if they were spotted and parents had to collect at the end of the day.

I really don't understand how all of those people now over the age of 40 managed to survive their entire school career without having a mobile phone at all...

Casdon

FindingNemo15

Mobiles should never have been allowed in the first place. Also vaping should be totally banned.

Goodness. Back to clay pipes, roll ups and yodelling then.

Very funny 😄

I’ll be thrilled if disposable vapes are banned, but as it hasn’t been enacted yet, it’s still more of a sound bite. So I’ll believe it when I see it. The businesses that make £££s from them are probably Tory donors.

FindingNemo15

Mobiles should never have been allowed in the first place. Also vaping should be totally banned.

Goodness. Back to clay pipes, roll ups and yodelling then.

Generations to come will look back in horror that we gave these devises to children 😡
Don’t assume I’m a Luddite Re tech, I’m not it’s just that I have first hand knowledge of the grief that can happen with mobiles in the hands of children.

Mobiles should never have been allowed in the first place. Also vaping should be totally banned.

I'd like to see them banned in the House of Commons. Maybe then some MPs couldnt watch porn and others could concentrate on the proceedings.

CoolCoco

When are disposable vapes to be banned * grannygravy* ? It was a mere suggestion last time I heard.

There are reports in The Guardian, Independent, Telegraph and most news outlets that it has been leaked that they are to be banned.

When are disposable vapes to be banned * grannygravy* ? It was a mere suggestion last time I heard.

When I was teaching in a private school about 15 yrs ago it was parents who insisted on keeping in touch with their children!
A typical text would be; I'm waiting outside in the car darling.

Very much a case of stable door by the Tories.

Tricky one. NB I have no grandcholden.

From the age when children are walking to school alone, I would think parents would be happier for them to have a mobile.
But in the classroom no. How can/do schools deal with that? Mobiles in a box on the teacher's desk? Mobiles on the child's desk upside down and switched off? Are individual schools going to be allowed to decide? Or will it be like the 20 mph speed ban which Rishi will apparently sweep aside irrespective of what local councils want? Sounds a lot like a conference dog whistle sound bite to me.