Introductory
Statement:
There
was an agreed need to review our existing mobile phone policy. Concerns have
arisen due to the fact that a number of children leave their phones on, either
accidentally or deliberately,
while in school. Some children have been found to be using the various functions
of their phones while in school which is of serious concern. Student and staff
welfare is of utmost importance in our school.
Rationale:
§
Mobile
phones are no longer being used simply
to make and receive calls and texts. They are used to record, to take images, to
access and upload to a host of internet sites. Current 3G and 4G facilities
enable the mobile phone user to bypass the school’s internet filtering system.
Therefore,
they can be intrusive and distracting in a school environment and potentially
unsafe.
§
Images
and recordings shared and/or uploaded to the internet may result in bullying.
§
Strategies
must be put in place to reduce the intrusiveness of unauthorised technology in a
school situation.
§
The
evidence confirms that it is not possible to ensure that all children leave
their mobile phones turned off while in school.
Relationship
to School Ethos:
The
unauthorised use of mobile phones contravenes the
provision of a safe and secure school environment and is not conducive to
learning - a provision which is central to the Mission
Statement
and ethos of Scoil Eimhín Naofa.
Aims:
§
To
ensure a safe school environment
§
To
lessen intrusions and distractions to children’s learning
Internal
School Procedures:
§
Children are not allowed to bring their
mobile phones to school, on school tours, school trips or any school organised
activities.
§
There
is a very adequate internal phone system in the school. The school secretary may
be contacted in relation to changes in pick up arrangements,
etc., and
the revised arrangements can be communicated to your child.
§
Teachers may also
phone parents in relation to pupils if the need arises.
§
If any difficulty
occurs after school and your child is not picked up, he/she is instructed to
come back into the school and the necessary phone call will be made from the
office. The obligation is on the parents to inform the school when phone numbers
are changed.
Sanctions:
should
a pupil bring/use a mobile phone while in
school, on school tours, on school trips or on any school organised activities.
§
If any pupil is found to have a phone in his/her possession,
turned
off/on,
it will be viewed as “Misbehaviour.”
This includes turning the phone on before leaving the school grounds. The phone
will be confiscated and an appropriate sanction, decided by the
teacher/principal,
will be imposed.
§
If a phone has been used
to make or receive calls or texts it will be viewed as “Serious Misbehaviour.” The phone will be
confiscated and an appropriate sanction,
decided by the teacher/principal,
will be imposed.
§
If a phone has been used
to record, take a photo or video clip in the school building or school
environment, it will be viewed as “Gross Misbehaviour.”
The phone will be confiscated
and an appropriate sanction,
up to and including suspension, decided by the principal, will be imposed.
§
If a phone has been used
to upload recordings, photos or videos taken in school to the internet, either during school
time or at a later date outside of school time,
it
will be viewed as “Gross Misbehaviour.”
The phone will be confiscated and an appropriate sanction, up to and including
suspension and expulsion,
decided by the principal and Board of Management, will be implemented.
Phones which have been confiscated will be returned to the
child’s parents/guardians by
the
principal.
Roles and Responsibilities:
All staff members share in the co-ordination and
implementation of this policy.
Evaluation:
This policy will be monitored on an
ongoing basis and may be amended periodically.
Ratified by the Board of Management on 30/05/2017.