
Headmistress scuppered by red tape as she tried to use mobile phone jamming tech - atomical
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/01/19/headmistress-buys-illegal-jammer-block-students-internet-use/
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6stringmerc
Why all this tech effort when simple authority and transparency will do? Build
a multi-compartment lucite / acrylic (clear) box, where each slot can hold 1
phone. Students enter and turn off phone notifications, put in a cubby, then
take their seat. Retrieve phone at end of class.

In certain circumstances - pending family news perhaps - a student might ask
and be permitted to keep their phone on their person. If there's other
unexpected family emergencies, contact the school, not the student directly.
The expectation of being able to bypass the school isn't a fair one to me.

As an occasional educator, I'm quite fond of the "beacuse I said so and I'm
paid to tell you what to do" philosophy of having a little leeway with
maintaining authority for a group of 10-30 pupils. Behavior doesn't always
improve with age. Certain strategies exist for a reason.

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aianus
Why shouldn't students be allowed to use their phones during class? In college
we all had laptops in front of us in every lecture and it didn't stop us from
learning.

~~~
celticninja
Because younger children are less disciplined and perhaps not as aware of the
harm they are causing themselves by playing candy crush in their maths lesson.

In college you are 18+, mature enough to make your own decisions, at 11 - 17
most (not all) are unable to do this. Why do you need a phone in school
anyway? Why do you need twitter or facebook or candycrush so immediately?

Yes in an emergency they would be useful, but lets be honest many people
survived their schooldays with a mobile phone so I am not sure why you feel
that a 12year old must have a mobile phone with them at all times.

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murkle
In UK, "6th form college" = 16-18 year olds

~~~
celticninja
Yes, with most being under 18 and those who are 18 are almost finished in
college and will leave for employment or university.

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DanBC
She should make use of the draconian UK laws under the Education Act 2010
around mobile phones in schools and just start seizing the phones.

[https://wiki.openrightsgroup.org/wiki/Education_Act_2011](https://wiki.openrightsgroup.org/wiki/Education_Act_2011)

[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/21/section/2/enacte...](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/21/section/2/enacted#p00105)

(We haven't heard much about these laws. I don't think most people on HN, even
the privacy conscious people in UK have heard much about them.)

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Symbiote
What teacher would want to use those powers?

If, as suggested, they're intended for looking at 'sexting' images, then the
teacher would be looking at child pornography.

If they delete an image, the evidence is destroyed¹.

"Mr Brown took my phone to look at the pictures I'd sent to <boyfriend>. He's
creepy, he stares at me in class" — no thanks!

¹ Ignoring recovery methods

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mig39
This is just nuts.

Looking for a tech solution to a human problem. If a kid in my class was
misusing their phone or laptop, I'd just take it away for a period of time.
Simple. If they are repeat offenders, I'd throw their screen on the projector.
Or read out their chat log :-)

But I'd rather they have internet access than not. Even if it means they use
social media.

~~~
scotty79
Yup. It's as if they used technological solution to keep children in class - a
door lock. Or to keep them seated and looking at the blackboard - restraints.

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adambrenecki
> red tape

...

> Such technology is illegal because jammers are likely to affect wider areas
> and other frequencies than those they are intended for. They can also result
> in the disruption of emergency and rescue radio services in the public area.

Oh fuck off. This isn't red tape, this is the law doing exactly what it's
supposed to: protecting public safety and people's access to an essential
service.

I'd love to see this principal bleating about "red tape" to the coroner after
one of her students is hit by a car out the front of the school, and dies
because nobody can call an ambulance.

(Well, no, I'm glad that this nonsense is being nipped in the bud before
something awful like that happens, but that's exactly the scenario this idiot
is setting herself up for.)

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edent
Even if they did manage to block 3G, 4G, and WiFi - it's almost impossible to
block Bluetooth. Hey-presto, P2P communication which is impossible to
effectively monitor.

Oh, and trust the The Telegraph go with the archaic term "headmistress" \- the
term preferred by most people in education is "headteacher". Take a look at
the school's own website - [http://www.wensleydale.n-yorks.sch.uk/Our-
School/The-Governi...](http://www.wensleydale.n-yorks.sch.uk/Our-School/The-
Governing-Body)

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sgift
Well, now she will have to use alternatives like .. more interesting lessons.
Or taking smartphones at the start of class, that could work too.

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grecy
I often day-dream of making a faraday-cage bar, or restaurant. I'd put a ton
of signs up making it clear that phones won't work inside, and people enter
know that , etc. etc.

I think it would be nice to go out and actually talk to people, rather than
just sit at a table of people playing with their phones.

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gremlinsinc
App idea for anyone w/ mobile dev: Required to bring into school, it gives
each student 45 minutes of internet per day while in the school and between
the hours of open/close set by the school. Presumably those will be used
during lunch/recess/switching classes/emergencies - school can see a list of
all students w/ the app installed who checked into the school, could even be
used to take attendance... though I guess someone could take a friend's phone
to school and fake their attendance... so maybe not..

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libeclipse
For sixth-form in my school they have a very relaxed approach to mobile
phones. Don't blatantly be ignoring what the teacher is saying and just using
your phone, and also don't disrupt other people in the class with your phone.

It works very well. I can't remember the last time someone was abusing the
privilege. I mean we all usually have our phones out in class anyways to open
formulas, research quick things, make notes or check work. It's never been a
problem.

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freedrock87
"scuppered"

New word I learned today.

~~~
coldcode
You never hear that word in the US, its very British. I wonder if it is even
rare there today.

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jacobush
Jamming radio is frowned upon. She could create Faraday-cage classrooms
though. Maybe start with a study room in the library? :)

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Cpoll
I imagine that would even be cheaper.

I think aluminum foil wallpaper might be enough. You could probably force the
kids to help you line the walls. Anti-static bags could fill the gaps where
the windows are.

~~~
jacobush
Many modern 3 pane windows are already blocking cell phone radio.

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aDevilInMe
This is not a case of red tape. Preventing emergancy signals or signals from
other users is illegal, get over it and recoup some of the money wasted on a
jammer.

~~~
scotty79
Would be turning a room into big Faraday's cage with the sole purpose of
preventing radio communication also illegal? Let's assume people are free to
leave the room if they need.

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wiredfool
No, but you'd need a better Faraday cage than a microwave.

