Ban mobile phones from the classroom

Madam, – I would imagine it was music to the ears of most teachers to hear a Westminster education minister talk the other day about banning pupils from taking mobile phones into school.

Though Nick Gibb’s educational remit is south of the border, his sentiments would undoubtedly have chimed with Scottish teachers in the hope that Scottish education secretary John Swinney might also advocate a similar ban in Scotland.

Of course, in this dynamic technological age, it is such a pity that it has come to this as the mobile phone is not all bad. In fact, if used responsibly and with the permission of the classroom teacher, phones can be an invaluable learning aid as they enable pupils’ access to dictionaries, encyclopedias and calculators – all at the instant swipe of an app or search engine.

However, as in most cases, it is the irresponsible few who spoil it for the rest.

Recalcitrant pupils with phones cause disruption – in some cases orchestrated with texting back and forth to encourage friends to play up in different classes.

With this in mind, the real challenge facing any education chief brave enough to take on the mobile phone louts is to empower schools and teachers with the sanctions necessary to implement such a ban.

Knowing the separation issues kids have when they are phoneless, and that it is generally easier to snatch a rump steak from the jaws of a rottweiler than to take a phone from a teenager, tough and uncompromising action will be necessary for any such ban to stand any chance of success.

Currently, many teachers turn a blind eye to kids who text during class as they know from experience the torrent of foul-mouthed abuse, and in some cases physical assault, they may be subjected to.

Who can blame teachers for taking the safe and easy way out?

Currently, there’s no guarantee senior management will support them, and if a child’s parents kick up a big enough fuss the child will be given “special permission” to have their phone.

I’m afraid I get the feeling that the genie is out of the bottle when it comes to mobile phones in schools, and authority backing down to pupils and parents has an alltoo familiar ring about it.

However, I’d love to be proved wrong and for Nick Gibb or John Swinney, or preferably both, to have the guts to take the argument to unsupportive parents and defiant pupils and show them that their number is finally up. Jamie Buchan. Grove Road, Dundee.