Latest news with #phoneban
CBC
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Quebec students walk out of class to protest full cellphone ban in schools
Following a recommendation by a special committee, Quebec's education minister announced phones would be banned in schools and that includes when students are on break. Students disagree with the idea that the devices get in the way of learning.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
London headteacher brags his school exam results have jumped a grade since he introduced a no-nonsense ban on phones despite Labour claiming policy is unnecessary
A London headteacher boasted about his schools improved exam results thanks to a strict phone ban, despite Labour branding pleas for a policy to bar devices from classrooms a 'headline grabbing gimmick'. Excelsior Academy in Hackney, east London, saw their average A-level grades jump from a C to a B in the last year. And the school's headteacher, Omar Deria, 45, has boiled down their recent success to barring phones at the academy. Describing the impact as 'miraculous', he explained new rules mean a pupil's caught using such devices can have them taken away for as long as a week. Recalling his first day at the school in 2022, Mr Deria said the students were 'glued to their phones scrolling.' Although the headmaster confessed it was a 'struggle' to tear the children away from the tech at first, he claims they thank teachers when results day rolls around. 'The impact in the classroom has been nothing short of miraculous. You are dealing with completely different people, their personalities are different,' he said. 'They are more articulate, chattier, nicer, more engaged, not just with the learning but with other people in general.' It comes after the Government rejected demands for a blanket ban on mobile phones in classrooms amid fears they are damaging educational standards. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson previously rejected a Tory call for tougher action to limit social media exposure, saying the plea was a 'headline grabbing gimmick'. The Government argued headteachers and schools already have sufficient powers to remove mobile phones from teachers. A study from the University of Birmingham also found phone bans in schools didn't have any positive effect on students. The study monitored 1,227 students from 30 schools across England - 20 of which had restrictions on using phones during school time. Their analysis found no connection between phone bans and higher grades, improved mental wellbeing, or better physical health. However, this may be because banning phones fails to reduce the total amount of time children spend on smartphones and social media throughout the week. The bans only succeeded in reducing smartphone and social media use by 40 minutes and 30 minutes per day respectively, as pupils made up the difference at home. However, Excelsior Academy headteacher, Mr Deria, alleged most of his school's behavioural problems stemmed from online, as students became 'unrecognisable' in their behaviour'. 'Around 90 percent of problems we deal with come from online. It gets brought into school and then that takes up a lot of our time,' he added. 'Kids have a completely different personality online. There are so many truly lovely students who go online and become unrecognisable. 'If we can ban phones then we can reduce peer on peer abuse and sexual harassment. If mobile phones are not banned in your school, then they are asking for trouble.' Students have also sung the praises of the new ban, with one student saying it helps encourages them to learn by reducing distraction. Cilen Garip, 17, explained they are able to get more done as they are less distracted by funny videos being shared around classrooms. 'Students were always on their phone in their free time, and it distracted not only them but the people around them,' he said. 'They would show a funny video around and it would distract the whole room. 'Now we can use that time to revise, and I think we get a lot more done. I don't even bother bringing my phone in anymore. I don't miss it.' 16-year-old Hamz Hussain, who hopes to go on to study engineering at university, revealed the ban has helped his ability to focus on the schoolwork at hand. 'Sometimes I miss it but that makes me realise how distracting they can be,' he added: 'Since it started in September, I have found myself revising way more. 'It means that all our work is finished in school and we can enjoy free time more at home. I appreciate having my phone in the evening more now that it is gone in the daytime. Another peer, Falma Hashi, also divulged its improved their ability to socialise in person as they play card games and talk more often without their phones in hand. 'Yesterday we played some card games and just talked rather than all sitting alone on our phones, head down not talking,' they said. 'When you are on your phone you spend a lot of time comparing yourself to people who seem to have this amazing life. 'When you are with your peers you don't do that as much. You see, everyone is really the same as you, without the filters.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Edinburgh pupils will have to lock up their mobiles
Pupils at two high schools in Edinburgh will have to keep their mobiles in lockable pouches during the day under a new phone-free policy. Students at Portobello High School and Queensferry High School will be issued with special wallets which once sealed require a magnetic pad to unlock them. Pupils will be allowed to keep their phones in their possession but will be expected to keep them in the pouches until the bell rings at the end of their final lesson. Edinburgh Council's education convener said the move would end the "competition" between phones and teachers for pupils' attention. The local authority said the crackdown on phone use had been supported by about 86% of pupils and parents at Portobello High School during a survey. It cited research which suggested pupils accessing social media on mobile phones had an "adverse effect on learning ability". The school said the ban ban would have no impact on learning because pupils already have access to iPads which offer digital resources without social media distractions. The Scottish government issued guidance to headteachers last year which said a total phone ban was an option provided the needs of certain pupils, such as those with medical conditions, was taken into account. It came after a 2022 study which showed about a third of pupils in Scottish classrooms admitted being distracted by phones in almost every lesson. It is hoped bans will help curb disruptions such as distracting notifications as well as the filming of bullying incidents. Portobello will be the first school to implement the policy on Wednesday, with Queensferry following suit on 14 May. The Yondr pouches are already in use in some schools elsewhere in the UK. Education convener councillor Joan Griffiths said: "Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners' attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people. "I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. "The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. She added: "We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing." What is a Yondr pouch? Fans of singer Bob Dylan had to keep their phones in Yondr pouches during his UK tour last year, which included a date at Edinburgh's Usher Hall. The legendary performer followed in the footsteps of Jack White, Alicia Keys and Childish Gambino, among others, to ban phones from his gigs. They are also used widely in theatre and art galleries to stop alerts from disrupting performances. Yondr pouches will be used to crack down on phone use in schools [BBC] The wallets work in a similar way to anti-theft tags seen on clothes or alcohol bottles in shops. A device is placed inside and closed with a powerful magnet, which snaps it shut until it is tapped on an unlocking base. But it does not function in the same way as a Faraday Cage, meaning electronic transmissions such as texts or calls are not blocked. What is happening elsewhere? Several other Scottish councils have taken steps to regulate the use of phones in classrooms. Most leave the enforcement to schools themselves. At Inverness Royal Academy in the Highlands, phone signals are blocked inside the building, while only staff are given access to password-protected wi-fi. Pupils can still access a signal in the school grounds. Perth and Kinross Council said it "strictly prohibits" the use of phones during lesson time unless permitted by a teacher for educational purposes. They said devices must be "turned off or on silent mode and stored in a manner that does not disturb the learning environment". Scottish government advice has been issued to schools in Glasgow, but the local authority said it would be up to individual schools to implement the policy. East Dunbartonshire, Moray and Shetland give schools autonomy to create their own rules, but have consulted with parents and carers on their future use. East Lothian is also consulting on a future policy, but all of their secondary schools have rules stating phones must be kept in bags, lockers or appropriate storage while in classrooms. Midlothian Council said schools would contact parents or carers if a pupil fails to comply with expectations that phones are switched off and out of sight during class time. Meanwhile, Argyll and Bute Council said it would not be appropriate to ban phones in schools outright.
