[cynicalsecurity]

This is plainly idiotic. Smartphones are great for having useful apps for studying such as dictionaries and translators, they provide access to Wikipedia and means to communicate with other kids. They also make parents feel less stressful knowing they can always call or message their kids. Whoever came up with this idea is a retrograde.

[prmoustache]

What kind of parent will call or message their kids during school hours?

All the ressources mentionned can probably be accessed through other means, usually the school library which has computer terminals.

[micromacrofoot]

it's incredibly common, like a quick text from the child "hey don't pick me up today I'm going to Greg's house" or a parent saying "do you have football practice today"

[prmoustache]

I am just waiting for my daughter to come back home to tell her whatever I need to (or leave a note on the kitchen counter) and she does the same. Also once home, she has access to me through XMPP even if I am not there.

[ImJamal]

How did people ever survive school 20 years without such an ability?

There is an easy solution that could be implemented. Kids can go to the office during lunch or a break and request their phone. They can send their message and then give back their phone.

[cynicalsecurity]

20 years ago the chance that someone could steal or abuse a child on or from the way to school was way much higher. People have already started forgetting about it. No phone = no way to track back the criminal or the crime.

[ImJamal]

Kids should be able to get their phone back when they leave the school. This means if they are kidnapped, either a kidnapper went onto campus and kidnapped the kid or the kid left the campus without retrieving their phone. It also assumes the kidnapper would allow a victim to keep their phone, which would be quite the dumb decision.

None of this seems very likely...

[prmoustache]

Source of your data over 20 years?

If you look at nonfamily child abductions, most of them involve kids between 0 and 5. Also in a significant proportion of abduction, the kid is not even targeted as it involve parents leaving the kid in a car and the car is stolen.

[micromacrofoot]

why exclude family? that's the primary case is it not?

[micromacrofoot]

Yeah that's what they used to do, go to the office and request to use the phone. If your parent wanted to tell you something they'd call the school and have them relay the message.

It's not a difficult problem to solve, but I guarantee there would be some parents fighting against it if implemented. Dealing with parents these days can sometimes be more difficult than their kids.

[whimsicalism]

we should let older high schoolers use phones during the school day. phone vocabulary apps were invaluable for my SAT prep. the library is frankly a laughable substitute

that said, they shouldn’t be allowed in actual class

[josefresco]

> What kind of parent will call or message their kids during school hours?

Both my teens text me throughout the school day if they need something. It's not every day, but it's several times a week. It's incredibly useful. I'd fight this vigorously if they tried this in my school district.

[Symbiote]

Maybe you'd all learn to be a bit more organised.

[prmoustache]

useful != essential

Any usefulness needs to be balanced with the possible detrimentals consequences.

[Biganon]

No kid in the history of the world has ever used their phone in class to willingly use Wikipedia or a translator, stop this nonsense.

If the school wants to teach children how to use these tools, fine, but on devices that won't spy on them or allow them to destroy their brain on tiktok. They can do this at home.