A FERMANAGH principal has said the impact of banning phones from their school has resulted in the most positive change they have seen in their entire teaching career.
Last week it was announced that, from September, St Fanchea’s College in Enniskillen will be taking part in a northern-wide pilot project that will restrict the use of phones during the school day.
However, if the Enniskillen school is looking for a success story to learn from, they don’t have to look far, as St Mary’s College in Irvinestown has already implemented its own phone ban.
The initiative, which St Mary’s introduced back in October, has been hailed by staff, students and parents a triumph.
Speaking to the ‘Herald, principal Martina McCauley said they decided to introduce the ban after Education Minister Paul Givan first indicated a change in the official stance on phones in schools was being considered.
Having held senior staff meetings exploring the idea, the school decided to go for the “big bang” and introduce an outright ban where the pupils hand in their phones each morning.
The phones are kept in an envelope, locked away, and handed back to the students at the end of the school day. Only children who use their phones for health monitoring are allowed to keep theirs.
This differs from other schools, where phones use is not allowed but the phones are not taken from the pupils, which often leads to issues.
Ms McCauley then held assemblies and class meetings with the pupils explaining the new rules, and informed parents, who were overwhelmingly in favour of the plan.
“If a student requires their phone earlier in the day, for example if they have to go home, they can call into the school office and have it returned to them,” added Ms McCauley.
“If the parents need to make contact with the children they can do so via the office. Like in the old days when you needed to contact your child or take them home early, just do it through the office.
“The office is always manned, so there are no issues.”
While she said a few pupils “tried to push the boundaries” of the new rule in its first few weeks, Ms McCauley said they had all come to accept it.
“Now it’s just the norm,” she said. You hand your phone in in the morning, then you get it back. We don’t even allow them to take it if they’re going to a football match.”
As for impact, Ms McCauley couldn’t stress enough how positive it has been, noting there hasn’t been a single safeguarding or child protection issue involving phones arise since the ban.
One of the things that has struck Ms McCauley most since the ban came in is that noise had returned to the school corridors and during breaktimes, with children no longer glued to their phones.
“Outside they’re all playing together, they’re back out playing football and interacting,” she said.
“They’re chatting, playing, and safeguarding concerns are just non-existent now through the phones.”
Ms McCauley added, “When you speak to them they tell you things like they’re battery life is better because their phone has been turned off all day.
“That they enjoy chatting to each other and playing outside.
“They don’t ask for them any more. If they’re going to a football match they don’t even ask to take them.”
“It’s part of school life, and it’s great.”
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