Gsm / smartphone
Gsm-verbod op Britse school geeft spectaculaire verbetering in gedrag, concentratie en leerresultaten leerlingen
- Gegevens
- Gepubliceerd: zondag 02 december 2012 11:19
Daily Mail - Top marks! Ofsted hails turnaround at schools that outlawed mobile phones
- Pupils are forbidden from making calls, texting or using online messaging
- Staff at the boys' school say the difference in behaviour has been 'dramatic'
- Chief inspector of schools calls for mobiles to be barred from classrooms
A school has been hailed for improving discipline and cracking down on bullying – by banning mobile phones. Pupils are forbidden from making calls, sending texts or using online messaging services anywhere on the grounds. Those who breach the zero tolerance policy have their phone confiscated – and parents have to go into the school to get it back.
The initiative has won the backing of Ofsted, which said the ban at Burnage Media Arts College in Manchester had 'contributed to a reduction in opportunities for cyber-bullying...or disruption in class'.
It comes after the new chief inspector of schools blamed mobiles for constant low-level disruption which hampered learning and called for them to be barred from classrooms.
The college's head, Ian Fenn, said: 'I think mobile phones rather crept up on education – and in our experience it was a nightmare.'
A particular problem has been pupils using messaging services such as BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) behind teachers' backs, he said.
'We used to have kids BBM-ing in lessons or sending each other jokes.
'We tried telling pupils they couldn't use them in lessons but it didn't work because it was too much of a grey area.
The new chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, blamed mobiles for constant low-level disruption which hampered learning and called for them to be barred from classrooms
'When we banned them completely we weren't sure how it would be received – but the effect has been dramatic.
'I don't think there's any other initiative in the last 12 years I've seen that has had the same impact. Apart from getting the best teachers we can, I think it's the most important thing we have done for pupils to improve learning.'
Mr Fenn said not only had behaviour and concentration levels improved since the ban was introduced a year ago, but reports of cyber-bullying had dropped dramatically.
The ban has meant many pupils now leave their phones at home – with others only using them outside school gates to contact parents once the day has finished.
Staff at the boys' school say the difference in behaviour has been 'dramatic'. Parents and governors have also given their full backing.
Local councillor Bev Craig said: 'The school has continued to see a marked improvement in its results. The latest measure in enforcing a ban on mobile phones in class is a good way of getting young people to give their full attention in class.'
Earlier this year Sir Michael Wilshaw, the new chief inspector of schools, told how he was drawing on his experience as head of Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, East London. Mobiles were banned, ending what he called the 'disruptive and pernicious' menace of cyber-bullying.
