Pupils warned over gadgets

1:08pm Wednesday 2nd January 2008

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YOUNGSTERS in York are being warned not to bring Christmas gadgets into the classroom.

City of York Council Executive member for Children's Services, Coun Carol Runciman, has joined the call for parents to think carefully about letting their children take expensive and potentially disruptive gadgets to school.

Her comments echo those of Children's Minister Kevin Brennan, who has joined teachers in asking parents to make sure that children do not use their Christmas gadgets in lessons.

While technology can be a good thing in the classroom where used properly, every year in the first days after term begins, teachers complain of a range of electronic toys, music players and phones being used by a small minority of children and young people.

The rules are clear - teachers can and will confiscate these items if they see them in lessons, and have the legal backing to do so.

Mr Brennan said this kind of persistent disruptive behaviour, which can often be a string of minor offences, can result in temporary or even permanent exclusion from school.

Coun Runciman said: "I do think it's important that parents think about what buy their children for Christmas - for one thing not all kids get the expensive gadgets bought for them, because not everybody has the means and we have got to be mindful of that.

"There is also a lot of peer pressure and advertising encouraging children to want the latest thing that they quite often don't need."

Mr Brennan said: "Christmas is great fun and I am sure, as is the case in my house, children and young people from across the country will have got a whole range of fascinating gadgets such as mobile phones, handheld consoles and MP3 players.

"However, there is a time and place for them, and learning tools such as calculators aside, the classroom is not that place.

"It is rightly down to schools to decide how best to deal with electronic equipment being brought in for use in the playground, but we are absolutely clear that when it comes to lessons, noisy toys are not acceptable.

"Any parent who is unsure should call their child's school and ask what their policy is on electronic equipment outside lesson time, for example in the playground at break or lunch. But if in doubt, leave it at home altogether."

Since April 2007 teachers have had a legal right to confiscate items from pupils.