One mother said her 11-year-old daughter came home from school crying because she didn’t have a smartphone to use in class.
Celeste Lewis faced criminal charges after Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, where her daughter Ava attended, encouraged pupils to use their mobile phones during lessons to do things like look up places on Google Earth. He said he felt it.
Unlike England, there is no guidance in Wales advising schools to ban the use of mobile phones in the classroom, with the Welsh Government saying mobile phones can “be effectively used to support learning”. states.
The school said it had an “acceptable use” policy for phones, which was regularly reviewed, students were educated about it and issues were discussed through staff and student groups.
Lewis said she started to feel “pressure” from parents to buy her a smartphone as her daughter graduated from primary school, but she isn’t overly afraid of how it will affect Eva’s mental health. He said he did so.
“When she was in sixth grade, I think every child in her class had a smartphone, except for her,” said a charity source.
“It was so ingrained that it was like, ‘Buy a uniform, buy shoes, buy a smartphone.’
She said it was “a given” that smartphones wouldn’t be used in class, but “within the first week or two” of joining Whitchurch High School, Eva decided to use them in class. She said she went home crying because she didn’t have a smartphone.
Mr Lewis said the school had been “really kind, really kind” and provided Eva with a laptop to help her with her lessons.
But she said she still feels caught between “a rock and a hard place.”
“I feel guilty as a parent now,” she says.
“We said, ‘We’ll give you a classic Nokia and you can call your friends and send messages.’
“There are still drawbacks to that phone. She can’t receive the emojis her friends send her. There’s messages, there’s calls, and there’s Snake.”
Whitchurch High School said each school has its own policy when it comes to telephones and electrical devices and has developed an “acceptable use” policy.
A school spokesperson said: “We regularly review our policies and educate students on acceptable and appropriate use.”
“Our main means of doing this is through lessons in relationships, wellbeing and health, supported by other relevant curriculum areas and our Behavior and Achievement Policy.
“We regularly review all policies and discuss issues through staff and student improvement groups to support decision-making and improvement priorities. Our governing body also participates in discussions on important issues. , we will scrutinize our policies before adoption.”
Proposed Ofcom figures 97% of children own a mobile phone by age 12.
But groups like Smartphone Free Childhood, of which Lewis is a member, are urging parents to reconsider the age at which they give their children cellphones.
England and Scotland released guidance earlier this year to help schools ban smartphones.
However, schools in Wales are encouraged to make their own choices, meaning some nearby schools may have different policies.
A school in Conwy recently introduced a system where students lock their phones in their own bags for the day.
roger beachAnd Cardiff West Community High School, just four miles from Eva’s school, has banned the use of mobile phones during the day for students, staff and visitors.
“When students arrive, the phones are far away, they can’t hear them, they’re not used,” said Mike Tate, the school’s principal.
He said he believed the ban had been a “driver” for behavioral improvements, including a “75% reduction” in fights in schools and fewer exclusions, particularly related to defiant behavior.
“What we’re seeing is increased participation in class, increased school attendance, and increased punctuality in class,” Tate added.
He also said the level of illness among staff had improved dramatically, which he attributed to improved student behavior in class.
The school, which serves the Ely community, has partially returned to paper after years of publishing updates and timetables online to make the changes.
Starting in September, students will once again receive traditional paper planners, and staff say many students are bringing their school bags for the first time in a while.
“I see a lot of students actually talking to each other in social settings and playing cards during lunch breaks instead of on their cell phones,” Tate said.
The school said that since introducing the ban, it had been contacted by around 10 people in south Wales asking for guidance on how to proceed with the ban.
However, opinions were divided among parents.
Gwenda, a mother of three, said she gave all her children smartphones when they started secondary school to give them freedom and keep in touch.
“Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad,” she says.
“This is the way the world is today and they need access. They need to feel included in their group of friends.
“They learn a lot from their phones. They learn a lot of bad things, but they also learn a lot of good things.”
Bethan, also a mother of three, said she believes smartphone use should be banned for under-16s, but worries that her children will be left behind. Ta.
Her 15-year-old son said he wasn’t invited to the movie theater for the first time because she didn’t allow him to use a messaging app that other children were using.
“I want the government to do something about this and take it out of parents’ hands,” she said.
The Welsh Government says it recognizes the impact mobile phones have on the “health and wellbeing of children and young people” and has introduced a policy banning the use of mobile phones in lessons in “almost all” schools in Wales. He said there was.
“Mobile phones can be used effectively to support learning and it is important to teach children and young people about online safety, including the use of social media.
“The Secretary of Education will work with schools to ensure policies are in place to reduce the health impacts of mobile phones and promote learning.”
Additional reporting by Nia Price and Matthew Bassett
