Finally, some action on mobile phones in schools.
Peterhead Academy are banning new S1 pupils from carrying mobile phones when they start at the school after summer.
Head teacher Gerry McCluskey said this week that he’d come to the decision in order to ‘safeguard’ new pupils.
Education figures in the north-east have come in for some stick lately, including from myself. But it’s only right they get praise when it’s due.
So well done Mr McCluskey on putting your head above the parapet and actually taking concrete action which, if anecdotal evidence is to be believed, the vast majority of north-east parents will applaud.
Of course, it does beg the question: why not S2s, S3s, etc.?
But the fact is that someone in authority, finally, has put their foot down on the scourge of mobile phones in schools.
Will other schools now follow Peterhead Academy’s lead?
Parents of secondary school children (I am one) are well aware that much of the violence and bullying plaguing our schools begins with online antagonism on smartphones.
They also end up there, as videos of serious incidents spread like wildfire among pupils on WhatsApp, Snapchat and TikTok.
Too often when I’ve pressed authorities on what they’re doing about these issues in north-east schools, I’m either referred to another taxpayer-funded body, or submerged in local government jargon and doublethink.
So it will be interesting to see what effect the Peterhead Academy mobile phone ban has.
I’m particularly interested to see whether other secondary schools follow Peterhead’s lead.
They should.
Mind you, schools haven’t made it easy for themselves.
When my oldest started secondary school, I was surprised to find out that in several classes, pupils were told to get their smartphones out for classwork purposes (using their own mobile data, also known as their parents’ money).
I’m continually hearing about plans to introduce QR codes for this, that and the next thing as well.
At one Aberdeenshire school, pupils even have to use QR codes to go to the toilet.
Do they want mobile phones in schools or not?
Me? I’d have a blanket ban
I’m curious to see how things go at Peterhead Academy next year, and whether they consider extending the ban to other year groups.
Schools could always compromise and allow mobile phones from, say, S4.
Me? I’d have a blanket ban. But then I am something of a Luddite, and I appreciate that S5-S6 pupils may need their devices in a way S1-S2 pupils don’t.
My kids’ school bans S1 pupils from going to the shops during lunchtime. As soon as they start S2, they’re all off to the shops.
I’ve no doubt these new Peterhead Academy pupils will be counting down the days until they can take their devices into school in S2.
Mr McCluskey says the S1 mobile phone ban at Peterhead Academy is to help new pupils transition to secondary school.
But I personally think the problems wrought by smartphones in schools run deeper than that.
That said, it’s a start, and for that, I take my hat off to him.
Calum Petrie writes features about education, schools, and family matters.
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