This year has seen a bunch of government education announcements regarding banning phones in schools (1)(2). These “bans” represent more stringent regulations aimed at curbing personal phone use in classrooms without prior teacher approval for educational purposes, rules that most schools and classrooms already have in place. The primary objectives of these top-down regulations are twofold:
- To address the online risks students face.
- To minimize distractions in the classroom.
Here is why school phone bans or restrictions are often short-sighted.
If personal phones were the sole device in the classroom, such policies might effectively achieve the intended objectives. Yet, this is far from the reality in many educational settings. For instance, some school supply lists mandate families to procure personal Chromebooks or laptops for their students, while other school districts assign a Chromebook to each student. The issue of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) has long been a challenge in work environments, primarily concerning privacy and security (3). Secure environments are characterized by every step being owned and controlled by the data controller. Any intrusion by an uncontrolled external entity poses significant vulnerabilities. Why should ensuring students’ digital safety at school be any different?
Banning phones while allowing other BYOD devices does little to effectively mitigate online harms. Many commonly used applications on phones are equally accessible on laptops, with the only difference being portability. Whether a student is using a laptop or accessing their phone on the go, the potential for encountering harm remains. In cases where schools provide Chromebooks to students, owned and controlled by the institution, this represents a proactive step towards achieving desired digital safety goals. However, this approach is only effective if proper backend data control management tools are in place. Responsibility for managing these controls falls on the institution, yet some schools distribute devices without implementing necessary restrictions or control measures.
True prevention of online harm in education requires comprehensive control over access. This involves providing controlled, locked-down devices that connect exclusively to a local intranet, limiting access to school network resources while isolating digital environments from external threats. While this approach may seem stringent, another option could be issuing Chromebooks that still connect to the internet but with monitored activity and search history, along with appropriate filters to prevent potential harms.
The primary challenge in tackling online harms in schools is the issue of infrastructure and cost. While some schools have successfully navigated these hurdles, others continue to place the responsibility of managing tech control on families through BYOD policies. Banning phones alone will not effectively address the concerns surrounding online harms, as the issue lies not with the devices themselves, but rather with the lack of control over their connections.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
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