Privacy in Schools

[FamoFunk]

I wouldn't give them my phone full stop.

Never had a problem with phones when I was in school, but I'd accidently still be wearing a necklace from the weekend or something, the teachers (mainly my forum teacher who had it in for me) would try and take it away from me to be collected at the end of term.
Point blank told her no, I'll take it off but there's no way in hell She's keeping my stuff for a whole term, caused a lot of problems between me and school but there was no way they were controlling my stuff like that.

 

[Giftfromme]

I'm pretty sure its illegal for some stupid assistant or principal to go through your messages without a viable reason.

I'd would've raised heck about it, theres no way in hades thats legal

what about a smart assistant or principal?

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

It is their responsibility to dispense discipline

No, it is their responsibility to teach. If you're at an age where you own a mobile and take it to school, then you're at an age to know rules and punishments. One of the major arguments for slipping education standards is the fact the teachers are no longer teachers. They're babysitters. If you go into class, fuck about and then laugh at the guy getting you all in to trouble, you really shouldn't be expecting sympathy.

What? I'm saying the problem is the people fucking about. You seem to be countering your own method of discipline there. You said the group should handle the problem and then you come around and say those same students telling off the person who got you into trouble are in the wrong? Make up your mind.

 

[TerribleAssassin]

Nobody even had cell phones when I was in school. I had one for emergencies by the time I was a junior in high school. My thoughts are, if we could get through the day without using a cell phone in school, so can you kids. If you don't want it confiscated or searched when there is a disciplinary incident, don't bring it in or leave it in your locker/car/whatever.

But then again, if you've got it in school, you'd usually have it in a pocket, just to make sure it was there and safe. And I'm sure they can't do that, at least without consent. And also, wouldn't it mean that you're education was being affected?

 

[Sergeytov]

A topic I'm interested enough in to actually motivate me to sign up for an account.

I'm old, okay, and I could say things like 'cell phones shouldn't be brought into schools', but that's not really important to the point of privacy in schools here. Second, I'm assuming the scenario is as presented, and that it's presented in an accurate manner, since I have no way to verify.

In the US, schools have a lot of power over their students. Public (I'm assuming public since it's never been said otherwise) school administrators have a lot of power in the classroom. It depends on a lot of factors, but the school may very well have the legal right to search the contents of confiscated phones, depending on various legal factors.

There is good news in that there are steps that can be taken in reaction to this, even if the school did have the legal right.

1) Parental pressure. - Issues brought up by parents have a lot more weight than those of students. I've witnessed many students suddenly see issues clear up with a school bending over backwards to appease a parent.

2) Media attention. - School administrators hate media attention they aren't controlling, and the media has interest in generating content that gets views/hits. If the school really did something out of the ordinary and questionable, they might just be interested.

3) Funding. - Public schools need funding. In many places, this funding has to be voted upon by the public. If you're committed to seeing this through and believe this is that wrong, you can try and get anyone of voting age to contact the school and inform them that they will be reconsidering their votes for school board (if voted on) and any funding issues in the future. It gave congress pause with SOPA, and it can work here.

4) Cast Summon Lawyer. - Once again, if you were really wronged and this isn't some minor complaint, there are civil remedies available.

The big thing to keep in mind is that these take effort and more than simple complains.

 

[dkeck]

It is not always illegal as some schools do have it stated that they do have permission to confiscate and search a students phone or electronics. (this is usually tied in on a school application form that the parents sign or something similar, back when I was in high school they have it. I can send you a scan if you want.

 

[Fatboy_41]

It is their responsibility to dispense discipline

No, it is their responsibility to teach. If you're at an age where you own a mobile and take it to school, then you're at an age to know rules and punishments. One of the major arguments for slipping education standards is the fact the teachers are no longer teachers. They're babysitters. If you go into class, fuck about and then laugh at the guy getting you all in to trouble, you really shouldn't be expecting sympathy.

What? I'm saying the problem is the people fucking about. You seem to be countering your own method of discipline there. You said the group should handle the problem and then you come around and say those same students telling off the person who got you into trouble are in the wrong? Make up your mind.

Like I said, the method works when used correctly. If the same guy is causing the troubles every single day and everyone else is suffering for it, they're going to get over that pretty damn quick. When they get pissed off enough, they're going to start losing loyalty to the troublemaker. Sure, it'll take more than one or two instances, but it does happen. I know that because I have observed it, been on the receiving end of it and I have used it.

When you've got a whole class that just don't give a shit, there then are deeper problems anyway.

 

[Coruptin]

New Jersey Vs. TLO guarantees the legality of these actions. No law was broken. Schools are just allowed to do this kind of stuff, for the students' own good, of course.

 

[Psychedelic Spartan]

On one hand, there is absolutely no reason why you need your phone in class. There is no benefit to having them in the classroom, and they only serve to distract and annoy the people around the student using the phone (or everyone, if it goes off).

On the other hand, the school has no rights to go through personal information like that. It is a definite violation of privacy, and it needs to be stopped.

Well, theoretically, there is. What if there is a personal emergency in your family, and they need to reach you as quickly as possible?

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

I challenge your accusation. Taking away your phones is just a way of life. Everyone has one and wont turn them off. Its just when your in the teachers can take them away. However it IS an invade of privacy to look in your phone.

They can search your desks and lockers are random because they own them. Its their property. However, your cell phone is your property. They have no right to search its contents.

 

[Kriptonite]

How about you don't take your phones to school or leave them in your locker? Seems like that would solve all the problems, and yes, I do mean both from the teacher's and student's perspectives.

 

[Jonluw]

Wow. That's pretty strict.
I'd be surprised if it wasn't illegal to go through your private material though.

I'm glad my school isn't that strict. The standard response to a ringing phone around here is to laugh at the person for forgetting to set it to vibrate.

At my old school, you had to bring cake the next day if your phone went off in class, but most of us just walked out of the class room and took the call

Hm.
People rarely take the calls here, but when they do, it's not all that common to leave the classroom to do so. Unless it's an important call, that is.

In fact, the guy sitting next to me took a call in class this very day. He had it set to vibrate though, so he didn't really disrupt class.

 

[Rhaff]

Wow. That's pretty strict.
I'd be surprised if it wasn't illegal to go through your private material though.

I'm glad my school isn't that strict. The standard response to a ringing phone around here is to laugh at the person for forgetting to set it to vibrate.

At my old school, you had to bring cake the next day if your phone went off in class, but most of us just walked out of the class room and took the call

Hm.
People rarely take the calls here, but when they do, it's not all that common to leave the classroom to do so. Unless it's an important call, that is.

In fact, the guy sitting next to me took a call in class this very day. He had it set to vibrate though, so he didn't really disrupt class.

Well the thing was that schools in Denmark are generally not that uptight about various stuff, with some exceptions of course. My old school especially which is equivalent to end of high school, start of college, had very loose rules about phones and personal devices in general. If your phone starts ringing, and its set on vibrate, you could just get up and walk out, and the teacher wouldn't think twice of it. If it starts ringing and its not on vibrate, then you could still just get up and take the call outside, but you had to bring cake the next time you had that teacher. The school even embraced facebook as a medium, where we made groups for the individual classes, and the teachers could get a hold of us through there. The school even paid for all students to go see The Social Network at the cinema during school hours.

 

[Jonluw]

Wow. That's pretty strict.
I'd be surprised if it wasn't illegal to go through your private material though.

I'm glad my school isn't that strict. The standard response to a ringing phone around here is to laugh at the person for forgetting to set it to vibrate.

At my old school, you had to bring cake the next day if your phone went off in class, but most of us just walked out of the class room and took the call

Hm.
People rarely take the calls here, but when they do, it's not all that common to leave the classroom to do so. Unless it's an important call, that is.

In fact, the guy sitting next to me took a call in class this very day. He had it set to vibrate though, so he didn't really disrupt class.

Well the thing was that schools in Denmark are generally not that uptight about various stuff, with some exceptions of course. My old school especially which is equivalent to end of high school, start of college, had very loose rules about phones and personal devices in general. If your phone starts ringing, and its set on vibrate, you could just get up and walk out, and the teacher wouldn't think twice of it. If it starts ringing and its not on vibrate, then you could still just get up and take the call outside, but you had to bring cake the next time you had that teacher. The school even embraced facebook as a medium, where we made groups for the individual classes, and the teachers could get a hold of us through there. The school even paid for all students to go see The Social Network at the cinema during school hours.

Sounds a lot like up here.

 

[senordesol]

I remember my phone got confiscated once. I removed the battery before handing it over. Later my teacher asked why I took the battery out, I asked why it would make a difference.

We were friends after that.

 

[LadyDeadly]

I'm pretty sure its illegal for some stupid assistant or principal to go through your messages without a viable reason.

I'd would've raised heck about it, theres no way in hades thats legal

what about a smart assistant or principal?

I meant that statement to apply to any person really. Ive never met said assistant or principal but i made the assumption they were stupid because they clearly thought that taking someone else's property and going through their personal informations i.e. texts and phone calls such, they would have to be stupid to think that is appropriate.

 

[Erana]

The thing about this is that such strict policy does nothing to promote a good educational environment. In college, if you get a ring, its taken as rude and reflects upon your integrity if you let it happen repeatedly, but a good professor will simply continue with doing their job.
Taking away phones over such a small offense turns the environment into a power struggle, and that effects all the students, and I'd easily bet that it does more damage than dealing with a small handful of students making poor choices by texting instead of paying attention.

The degree to which the staff of this school seem to have lost sight of the point of education is saddening.

 

[Giftfromme]

The thing about this is that such strict policy does nothing to promote a good educational environment. In college, if you get a ring, its taken as rude and reflects upon your integrity if you let it happen repeatedly, but a good professor will simply continue with doing their job.
Taking away phones over such a small offense turns the environment into a power struggle, and that effects all the students, and I'd easily bet that it does more damage than dealing with a small handful of students making poor choices by texting instead of paying attention.

The degree to which the staff of this school seem to have lost sight of the point of education is saddening.

Utter nonsense. It's stupidly annoying and why should one person's phone going off be allowed to distract the class? Just turn the damn thing off. He is in high school, not a CEO or an executive who might need information ASAP. Why should the lecturer or teacher have to ignore a ringing phone in class? They already have to deal with annoying and obnoxious teenagers, now you say they should add phones to that list?

Turn off your damn phone in class and make it easier on everyone. Such a simple act.

Kheapathic has it 100% correct.

 

[Simalacrum]

You should take that up with the teachers; I don't know about laws, but it IS a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and while it isn't technically law, people shouldn't really go breaking it willy nilly (even if they do).

Still, that does seem pretty damn illegal? consult a professional or someone about it, I dunno.

edit: I should point out this is less the confiscation of the phone (which is eh, whatever, should've turned off the phone), its more the going through all your information part of it; now that REALLY isn't on. Also, how the hell do they get past the passwords? What kind of school has people/devices capable of that?

 

[Erana]

The thing about this is that such strict policy does nothing to promote a good educational environment. In college, if you get a ring, its taken as rude and reflects upon your integrity if you let it happen repeatedly, but a good professor will simply continue with doing their job.
Taking away phones over such a small offense turns the environment into a power struggle, and that effects all the students, and I'd easily bet that it does more damage than dealing with a small handful of students making poor choices by texting instead of paying attention.

The degree to which the staff of this school seem to have lost sight of the point of education is saddening.

Utter nonsense. It's stupidly annoying and why should one person's phone going off be allowed to distract the class? Just turn the damn thing off. He is in high school, not a CEO or an executive who might need information ASAP. Why should the lecturer or teacher have to ignore a ringing phone in class? They already have to deal with annoying and obnoxious teenagers, now you say they should add phones to that list?

Turn off your damn phone in class and make it easier on everyone. Such a simple act.

Kheapathic has it 100% correct.

I never said that someone should not turn their phone off in class. Don't put words in my mouth, I hate that!

What I was talking about is how its handled. A school should be an environment in which students should have enough discipline to not let their phones go off, and if it does happen, they should have enough respect for their teacher that their shame in such an event be enough punishment.
What I'm talking about is striving for an environment of mutual trust and respect, where you don't have to stop the education, the entire point of highschool, to discipline a student or students. How fucking hard is it to know when you've wronged your teacher?
Of course, by your calling students, "Annoying and obnoxious teenagers," you demonstrate your complete lack of faith in highschoolers, so my arguing my point is probably moot.

But yet again on the Escapist, I have to respond to posts by spelling out what I said in the first place, rather than having an actual discussion... I'm a bit disappoint.