I understand that children have phones, use phones frequently and that we should accept that as schools. I agree that we should have lessons on appropriately using them. But I have seen for myself the results of phones being allowed in schools. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/apr/24/dear-gavin-williamson-teenagers-use-mobile-phones-get-with-the-times

Yes, cyber bullying takes place when they’re not in school. But what happens in school is that the bullying involves photos and videos of children in a place where they should be safe. When their right not to be photographed and filmed should be respected.

One of the things I dealt with as a head of year was fights being filmed. Students were allowed phones. So when something happened, they filmed it. Sure, useful as a HOY to identify culprits but humiliating for the students involved when it was shared everywhere.

I saw instances of some horrific, misogynistic bullying. Photographs of girls taken without their consent, sent around Snapchat with horrible captions. We can tell them not to do this, we can warn them, we can explain consequences. But it still happens.

Then there’s the privacy and safety of staff. I’ve also dealt with staff being filmed or photographed, and it shared around. Horrible for everyone involved. Not what we go to work for.

Trust me, when it’s your child who is being cyber bullied in a place where they should be safe, should be able to play and learn without the worry of someone using their phone to infringe their privacy, then you might think differently.

We can teach students appropriate use of mobile technology without them using their phones in school. I feel so strongly about it because I’ve seen what can happen. And you can say that it clearly wasn’t managed well where I worked and you might be right.

But I think regardless of how well you manage it, the potential for the negative impacts are always there, and why should it have to be when you could simply avoid it?