Mobile Phone Usage in Secondary Schools

What is the issue?

Over 90% of schools in England have implemented policies to limit or prohibit students’ mobile phone use in the classroom and around the school building. The recent Netflix drama Adolescence has highlighted the many issues that mobile phones can bring, including bullying and promoting extreme views and behaviour. Children are at a high risk of being manipulated and influenced by what they see online; carrying a phone around gives them easy access to the online world. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of having mobile phones in school, as well as what actions schools can put in place to protect the community.

What are the advantages of having mobile phones in school?

• Digital learning: Mobile phones contain a huge variety of apps, which can help students revise or practice their learning skills, for example times tables using games or language apps to brush up on phrases and vocabulary. These can also be used at home, encouraging learning outside of school hours.
• Research in lessons: Mobile phones are essentially miniature computers and have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. For schools who have a shortage of IT provision, they are great for helping students research a topic using search engines installed on a phone.
• Medical reasons: A mobile phone can be essential for medical reasons, for example checking blood sugar if a child is diabetic. As they are portable and lightweight, they can be carried everywhere in a school environment and offer immediate medical feedback if there is an emergency.

What are the disadvantages of having mobile phones in school?

• Distraction: Mobile phones can be a significant source of distraction in the classroom, making it hard for students to focus on the lesson they are in. A child may be trying to reply to a message whilst a teacher is talking, meaning they miss vital learning that would help them understand the subject.
• Disruptive Behaviour: Unauthorised use of phones can lead to disruptions in a classroom and defiant behaviour if a phone is taken away from a student. It also takes up time in a lesson that should be used for teaching and progressing students’ learning.
• Bullying and targeted behaviour: Students can use mobile phones to target other students and say unkind things about them online. A school should be a safe place for children, without the threat of discrimination or bullying; however, it is very hard for schools to control everything that goes on when it is all online.

What can schools do?

One option for schools is to have lockers designed specifically for children to put mobile phones in. These are a secure way of storing phones until the end of the school day. Paper Plus have a great option in their catalogue. The lockers have clear doors to reduce any anxiety for students that their phone has been taken. There are also charging options available, so children don’t need to worry about their phone not working at the end of the day. Lockers in a school help the issue of mobile phone usage, as it allows the best of both worlds- no phones in a classroom and around a school building, but access if needed in an emergency.

Take a look at our phone lockers here >

Schools should also make sure they have robust policies in place, to combat mobile phone misuse and clear communication to parents about the school rules regarding mobile phones.