School allows students to bring phones to class

Anonymous

School allows students to bring phones to class

My younger sister is in year 7, which year 7 is now in high school. And the school she goes to allows mobile phones. When i first found out, i just assumed that students could have them in their bag or in their pocket to use on lunch breaks or for after school purposes. Turns out students can actually have their phones in class and be using them and not actually paying attention to the teacher what so ever. When i was at school if you got caught with a mobile phone it was confiscated and not given back until the end of the day. What are your thoughts on this? For me, it doesn't sit right, kids go to school to learn not to sit on their phones all day. I personally feel its due to the fact that there are far more students then there are teachers and they simply cant enforce a no phone policy

Posted in:  Education

7 Replies

Anonymous

Actually most schools expect kids to have technology on them because that's what the real world is like.
By high school kids should be able to self monitor there technology use as they will be expected to in the work place. Telling kids in year seven to put away phones when most of them also have a laptop sitting in front of them is also a bit pointless. Phones and laptops are basically the same thing. Phones are often used in the classroom as a learning tool.
My nephew in year primary school (public) has full access to a laptop to do his work. The vast majority of his work at school is done with technology because that's what is expected in the work place and uni

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Anonymous

That's a fair point and i can understand that....unfortunately i still think that most kids won't and don't have the self control at age 12, 13 or even 14 to actually stop texting and stop using facebook ect to actually do any school work....i know for a fact my sister is one of them...but she doesnt have full access to laptops, only in certain classes at certain times...she's constantly on her phone using facebook or texting me when shes at school...i ask her what shes learning and her response is always something along the lines of "in such and such class and its boring and the teacher is dribbling on with stuff"....but technology is apart of the real world and i completely agree with that, i just hope she learns how to manage it before she completely falls behind

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Anonymous

I'd probably make a point of not replying to her during school hours

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Anonymous

I haven't done so for quite some time. This all happened in the first week or so of school starting after Christmas holidays. Im only posting now due to our mum being really concerned by her being too preoccupied about social media ect when shes at school. But i dont respond to her texts, facebooking or anything while shes at school. Thanks for your advice though

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Anonymous

Your mum could have a chat to her teacher about if your sister is keeping up with work.,

I have to admit at that age I would have said class is boring and we don't learn anything, if someone asked but my marks were all good because I was communicating the way teenagers do, which is insisting everything is crap! My niece is pretty much the same in year 8. You can't get more than a stupid school out of her but she is doing the work, handing up her homework and getting the scores.

Also it's possible the first few weeks they didn't do much. First few weeks of high school is mostly getting to know the school, systems etc.

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Anonymous

I have a primary school aged child, I didn't realise they were allowed to have them in high school. I think phones should at the very least be banned from class, but I think they should be banned altogether and kept in their bag (I understand kids that get buses, walk home need to have them straight after school). Any emergencies, I am sure parents can call the school and get a message to their child, we managed without mobiles. I think it would also hinder their learning if they have them with them in class, absolutely ridiculous, they have no need for them. If I was your mum I would also be concerned and not let her take it to school.

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Anonymous

I think everybody has so many different ways to see it. Talk to the school so you can understand their policy and approach to technology and device use and get on the same page.
I also think its really important for kids to have no texh time, where they dont panic if they cant see their devices for a few hours and engage with the people in front of them, so whatever is happening at school I would need to make sure that is happening at some time.

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