Your editorial on phones in schools (2 October) makes the point that most secondary schools already have clear policies to deal with this issue. The comprehensive school with 1,800 pupils that I last taught at allowed pupils to bring their phones in, but they had to be switched off and kept in bags during lessons. If a pupil tried to access their phone in class, the teacher would confiscate it and leave it at the school’s reception, where it could be collected only by a parent or guardian. This policy was very effective. Pupils could use their phones at break and lunchtime, and many did – to listen to music, play games and interact socially.
In my experience, most parents of secondary schoolchildren want them to carry phones. It means they can contact a parent if they are going to be late home, or want permission to go to a friend’s etc, while the parents are reassured by having direct access to their children before and after the school day.
