Banning Phones in Schools

Isn't the answer obvious?

It may seem to the vast majority of people that this is a straight forward question. Using your phone in school can't be acceptable, or can it? As the policy maker for this subject at my school, the answer has been becoming more complex than ever before. I decided to review my position recently and thought the decision-making process I've gone through might be useful for others. 

Using your Using your phone in school can't be acceptable, or can it?

Increased results?

There are several studies that indicate banning phones in schools improves results. A study from the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics suggests a ban has the same effect as an extra week at school over the year. The studies that support phones in schools are less focused on the management and misuse of the devices but rather the greater access to online resources and creative apps that support learning. Although I did read a study from the Singapore Management University that suggests a ban has a negative cognitive effect due to the anxiety students feel being disconnected from their feeds. I would question the premise that because students are increasingly becoming addicted to their devices, this then becomes a valid reason to allow them. There is plenty of evidence that dopamine and serotonin are released when students hear a phone ring but this is treating the symptom, not the cause. So with the evidence, unsurprisingly, heavily weighted toward banning phone use in schools why am I even considering the question?

a ban has the same effect as an extra week at school over the year

Teaching for life after school

The main reason for my review of this subject is the undeniable truth that smartphones are here to stay. I walk around every part of the world and see adults attached to phones. While this is more prevalent in (I hate the term) Millenials, this is just because they have grown up with the technology. I hear the same criticism of young adults entering the workplace from businesses all the time.

They don't know how to use their phones approprately 

I see it every day. We currently do now allow phones to be used in school without expressed permission of the teacher, yet they can't help themselves. Wrongly assuming I am blind, they try and use the phone under the table but the unusual silence and extreme concentration while their eyes are down are a dead giveaway! Why can't they focus on my words in the same way? Well, that's another blog.

My students are not alone though, adults do the same thing. It is not uncommon for me to check my phone after a lesson to 20-40 notifications from my friends WhatsApp group. These are highly paid financial experts in the middle of a working day. To be honest I'd probably be throwing my thoughts into the conversation more regularly if it wasn't for the fact I'm standing in front of 30 students explaining why that would be outrageous and unprofessional. The hypocrisy is not lost on me. When I go into the staff room I notice our own Millennials typing away furiously, catching up with their own feeds before the bell goes and another hour of forced disconnection.

So if I have to consciously manage my own use what chance does a student have with an underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex poorly controlling impulses? From a recent inset session, we were reminded of the physiological process of myelination. This process doesn't finish until mid to late 20's, presenting itself as a reduced ability to apply self-control. If this is the case why don't we just ban phones? We don't because behaviour can be modified, and as teachers, part of the job is enforcing boundaries.

if I have to consciously manage my own use what chance does a student have?

If we ignore phones with an outright ban we will not treat the cause and continue to treat the symptom. I believe that phones have a place in teaching and learning. The information at children's fingertips via the internet is something we dreamed of in our own school experience. In times past we had to visit the library, hope they had enough books on the desired subject, then spend 30min searching for the material. While students have different issues today, sifting through misinformation, they can find answers to questions immediately. Banning phones will take away answers to questions, stifle curiosity and hinder exploration.

I know it's a double edged sword allowing phones in schools but there is a duel reason for keeping them there. Allow students to access information instantly and teach them restraint.

Banning phones will take away answers to questions, stifle curiosity and hinder exploration. 

Everything in Moderation

So after careful consideration, I arrived at the same conclusion I did years ago, phones have a place in schools. We will continue to allow students to bring them into school (parents still want to contact young students for safety reasons) but they have to ask a member of staff to use them. Obviously, the use is for school related tasks, and on the whole, students respect that.

The main issue for staff is the break time use of technology, this is more complex to manage. I would like to allow students to check in to social media, after all, I like to. However, they do tend to take pictures of each other doing silly things and posting them in school uniform, but then my own friends post at work when they shouldn't, not pictures but still wasting time. The answer is education, teach them that they are allowed to check in and post in free time, just don't cross the line. Hopefully this approach will better prepare them for life after school. Maybe then Generation Z won't post at work half as much as Y does now.

If your school bans phones outright you're kidding yourself they are not using them. 4G, soon 5G, gives students virtually unlimited access to ALL types of content anywhere. I would prefer to keep them on my filtered WiFi, safer surfing for at least the hours they're in school.

If your school bans phones outright you're kidding yourself they are not using them

Managing use & consequences of misuse 

Kids will be kids, rules will be broken so what is an effective consequence? I have found longer term confiscations are the key. Recent phone only apps like WhatsApp have meant that students need the phone to access the messages, they can't simply log on at home like Facebook. No one wants their phone confiscated on a Friday and lose it for the weekend! So obtaining parental consent for this and explaining the message is key. I have not had many parents disagree with the idea and even when they do, explaining the rationale in more detail over the phone usually sways them.

No one wants their phone confiscated on a Friday and lose it for the weekend! 

We also add to the parental agreement that if students use their phones in school we have the right to search them. To check they are not bringing inappropriate material into school. They have the right for me not to check their phone, they simply have to keep it in their bag all day but as soon as we see it we can search it. This may seem like crossing a line of their privacy but it has highlighted students at risk.  Multiple times I believe it has prevented issues escalating by nipping them in the bud. If we had banned phones entirely I am convinced we would be seeing more incidents of shared inappropriate images in our school than every school already has to deal with. I am in the process of reminding parents that they should regularly check their children's phones and social media. They are allowed a certain amount of privacy but as soon as they get overly defensive about checking their phones you should be suspicious.

So in summary, phones have a place in school but a small one, only for research when other devices are not available. Break time is a stickier topic but manageable, it's all about teaching students self-control and responsible behaviour. After all, isn't that the job of parents and schools anyway.

it's all about teaching students self-control

Rory Steel
@JerseyITguy