Schools outlaw electronic gadgets in name of safety

[CBC News]

Cellphones, MP3 players and cameras are being banned in some Canadian classrooms this fall, a decision school administrators say was spurred by concerns about safety, cheating and bullying.
Lynn Farmakoulas, principal of Fundy High School in St. George, N.B., has issued a sweeping ban on all electronic gear at her school in the name of security.
"We're trying to make this a safe place for everybody," she said.
Farmakoulas said if a teacher finds a student with a prohibited gadget, parents will be called to the school.
"I know we've had two meetings already with parents today that their children lost their cellphones, and they came in and they also picked up their child," she said. "They'll come back tomorrow without their cellphone or their MP3 or iPod hopefully."
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Does this go to far? What limits if any would you suggest?


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[eh1eh]

They are already banned at my daughter's high school. If your phone rings in class your parents can pick it up at the office. They are also not allowed in the halls. Kinda like smoking.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Why would a student require an electronic gadget in class?

 

[Unforgiven]

Can't leave it in the locker, they'll get stolen.
Can't have it in class, they'll take pictures of teachers and put them up on You Tube. Not to mention record some of the dumbass things teachers blurt out after the morning coffees wear off and the afternoon boozing has yet to kick in.

Should students not be allowed to carry a cell phone to and from school? Or listen to music for that matter?

I guess it's just not possible to punish those who steal them, cheat with them and bully those who have them.

 

[TenPenny]

In my high school, we had locks on our lockers. So why can't they be kept there?

I can understand some parents wanting their kids to have phones for contact after school, but during class?

 

[eh1eh]

Well all they have to do is put them on silent mode. Check messages after class. Rock out with the tunes after class. These things are getting so small that they can be tucked in a pocket. It is space age technology but not rocket science if you know what I mean.:smile:

 

[karrie]

That sucks. I wanted to get my kids one of the ones with the three buttons, you know... one home, one parent cell, one 911 dialer. When your kids are bussing, it's nerve wracking. I thought that would be a perfect way for me to relax about it... I guess not.

 

[eh1eh]

That sucks. I wanted to get my kids one of the ones with the three buttons, you know... one home, one parent cell, one 911 dialer. When your kids are bussing, it's nerve wracking. I thought that would be a perfect way for me to relax about it... I guess not.

You can still do that karrie. The kids just have shut them during class.

 

[Unforgiven]

My kids school blocks the signal inside most parts of the school so the phones don't work unless they go outside. It's no big deal.

 

[Walter]

record some of the dumbass things teachers blurt out after the morning coffees wear off and the afternoon boozing has yet to kick in.

Not all teachers drink; some just shoot-up or do a doobie.

 

[DaSleeper]

Had a teacher in high school who was an alcoholic.........best teacher in the whole school!!

 

[eh1eh]

Not all teachers drink; some just shoot-up or do a doobie.

You laugh. Teachers are people too. I smoked a doob with a teacher last week. She is cute too. Alas, young enough to be my daughter though. :-(

 

[karrie]

My band teacher used to get just tanked over lunch from the vodka bottle he kept in his filing cabinet. If I showed up early to practise before class, I'd catch him drinking.

It was incredibly uncomfortable for me, because though he was a brilliant teacher, the fact that I never ratted on him seemed to give him a feeling of permission, and he'd just drink right in front of me. He'd get to the point of wobbly on his feet, and then conduct like a madman for an hour long class. I always expected him to pass out. I was always pleasantly surprised when he didn't.

He's the main reason I quit band though... he started hovering around me during practises, to the point that some of the guys were getting angry and protective. Horribly uncomfortable situation. Serves me right for keeping his secret I suppose.