Mobile Phone & Digital Device Policy (Draft 1)

Mobile Phone & Digital Device Policy (Draft 1)

Mission Statement

“De La Salle College, Waterford is a Christian school. It is a learning community where all students are valued and educated in preparation for a meaningful life”.

Summary;

This policy applies to all Students in the College.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Student Acceptable Use Policy.

Students should understand the importance of adopting good practice when using digital technologies and communications both in and out of school.

Students need to be aware that the College’s Mobile Phone & Digital Device Policy and Acceptable Use Policy cover their actions out of school, if related to their membership of the school.

The College accepts no responsibility in any circumstances for replacing lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones/digital devices.

De La Salle College Waterford accepts that the use of technology and electronic equipment is increasingly part of a modern lifestyle and that students and staff of the College uses such equipment on a day-to-day basis. This equipment may be the property of the College or may belong to individuals who may wish to use such equipment on the College campus or at home. The purpose of this policy is to define the acceptable use of technology and such electronic equipment.

Technology/Electronic equipment includes, but is not limited to: personal computers, laptops, computer peripherals, cameras, mobile phones, PDAs, sound and/or video equipment and any device which may be used to play, record, store and or transmit digital or electronic files, pictures or sound.

General Statement: Subject to the specific rules below, the possession and/or use of technology within the College, on College trips, or which in any way affects life in the College, is acceptable only when the general health and welfare of others is not put at risk. The use of technology in De La Salle College, or use of technology by students which in any way affects life in the College should be in accordance with the ethos of De La Salle College. At no time is it acceptable to use any technology for the purposes of bullying, intimidation or hurting others.

Students bring privately owned technology/electronic equipment to the College or on trips entirely at their own risk. The College will not take responsibility for and is not liable for the misuse of, the loss of, damage to, or theft of any privately owned equipment or devices.

Use of mobile devices (particularly with the advent of increasingly sophisticated equipment and camera phones) presents a number of problems, including:

(i). Mobile devices can be valuable items and might render a pupil vulnerable to theft;

(ii). They can make pupils objects of envy or disparagement and could have implications with regard to discipline and potential bullying;

(iii). Even when apparently silent, the use of mobiles phones for texting purposes could be potentially undermining of classroom management and the School environment.

(iv). Use of mobile devices could lead to child protection, data protection and other issues with regard to inappropriate capture, use or distribution of content.

(v). Many of the above issues also pertain to I-Pods, Game Boys, PSPs, etc. They can be very intrusive, distracting and anti- social in a school environment.

All rules relating to phones/digital devices are predicated on maintaining a safe, orderly nurturing learning environment where the personal dignity of all the members of the school community and the reputation of the school is safeguarded.

Mobile Phones

While De La Salle College Waterford accepts that it is a student’s right to have a mobile phone, the following policy aims to maintain a safe, nurturing environment where the personal dignity and rights of all the members of the school community are preserved.

The school’s Board of Management accepts that it is not realistic to have a policy which prohibits pupils from taking phones to school. Not only would it be impractical but it is believed that a number of parents would be concerned for health and safety reasons if their child were not allowed to carry a phone at all. However, it is the Board’s policy to prohibit the unauthorised use by pupils of mobile phones while on Collegepremises, grounds or off site activities.

The Board discourages (and asks all parents to discourage) pupils from bringing mobile phones to school.

The school accepts no responsibility in any circumstances for replacing lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones/digital devices. The safety and security of mobile phones/digital devices is wholly a matter for students and their parents/guardians.

Policy

The College’s policy on mobile phones is therefore devised with the intention of ensuring that teaching and learning can take place without interruption and also with the intention of protecting students and staff from potential harassment or bullying.

Students are not to bring mobile phones to school unless a parent feels that it is absolutely necessary.

Where a pupil does bring a mobile phone to school, the phone must be out of sight, remain switched off during the school day and may not be used, for any purpose, on school premises, grounds or during off-site school activities, e.g. study, school trips.

Students may not use mobile phones between classes.

In exceptional circumstances, a member of School Staff may authorise a Student to use a phone.

Mobile phones are a common vehicle for cyber-bullying, through the recording of inappropriate images or video, distributing such images and videos via Bluetooth or other wireless technologies, or the sending of abusive text messages.

Any misuse of mobile phones for the purpose of bullying sharing inappropriate images will be dealt with in accordance with the Colleges code of conduct.

Bullies rely on silence. It is important that bullying behaviour be reported at all times. De La Salle College is a “telling” school and it is essential that anyone who becomes aware of or suspects that intimidating behaviour is taking place should inform an appropriate person.

No photographs can be taken or recordings made while on school premises and during school related activities unless permission is given.Using mobile phones/digital devices in such a way without permission can seriously infringe on people’s rights.

The College reserves the right to request a student to submit his/her mobile phone for inspection if, in the opinion of the College, a student is suspected of inappropriate use.

In order to assist the school in implementing this policy, parents/guardians are asked not to contact students by mobile phone at any time during the school day, an arrangement which necessitates the student breaking the school rules.

Parents/guardians are expected to respect the school rules in relation to the use of mobile phones and to support the school position in this regard.

Contact with the College may be made through the office at (051) 875294 and students or parents/guardian are directed to use the office phone in emergencies. A student, who wishes to go home for any reason during the school day, must arrange to do so through the school office and not independently by mobile phone. This ensures that correct procedures for leaving school before the ending of classes for that day are observed. Responsibility cannot be taken by the College authorities for students who arrange independently to go home without following proper procedure.Any such arrangement is a breach of the Code of Behaviour for Students and may incur sanctions.

Cameras

Use of cameras may be acceptable. They may be usedonly with the permission of the teacher in charge. In the absence of this specific permission these items must be switched off and out of sight. Failure to comply with this may result in confiscation as per the terms of this policy. Ordinarily students should not bring cameras to school.

Cameras must never be used to bully, intimidate or hurt others. Photographs should not be taken without the prior consent of the person who is being photographed.

Any use of cameras to intimidate others is forbidden. Any such occurrence will be viewed by the College as an act of bullying and may result in the confiscation of a camera. The College reserves the right to request a student to submit his/her camera for inspection, if, in the opinion of the College, a student is suspected of inappropriate use.

Sound Recording Equipment

Students should not bring sound recording devices to school. If a pupil is found to have such a device it may be confiscated as per this policy.

Sound recording equipment must never be used to bully, intimidate or hurt others. Sound recordings should not be made without the prior consent of the person who is being recorded. The College reserves the right to request a student to submit this item for inspection, if, in the opinion of the College, a student is suspected of inappropriate use.

Personal Laptops, PDAs (including Palm/Pocket devices)

Use of personal laptops and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) may be acceptable. Laptops or PDAs may be used onlywith the permission of the teacher in charge. In the absence of this specific permission these items must be switched off and out of sight. Failure to comply with this may result in confiscation as per the terms of this policy. Use of laptops and PDAs must not be contrary to the College Acceptable Use Policy.

Laptops/PDAs must never be used to bully, intimidate or hurt others. Use of laptops or PDAs to download, store, record or transmit unacceptable images, video, sound, texts or other files is entirely unacceptable and will lead to the confiscation of the device. The College reserves the right to request a student to submit his/her laptop/PDA for inspection, if, in the opinion of the College, a student is suspected of inappropriate use.

Personal Music Players

Use of personal music players is not allowed.Personal Music Players includes but is not restricted to radios, iPods, phones equipped with radios and MP3/4 players. If these are brought to school they should be switched off and out of sight. Ear phones should neither be worn or visible. Failure to comply with this may result in confiscation as per the terms of this policy.

Use of a Personal Music Player during class time, between classes or on school grounds or activities is not permitted and may lead to the confiscation of the device. Students may not use the college facilities to download files or music to their player.

Games Consoles

Use of these is not allowed. If these are brought to school they should be switched off and out of sight. Failure to comply with this may result in confiscation as per the terms of this policy.

2 Sanctions for Misuse of Mobile Phones/Digital Devices

General

The College ethos for students emphasizes that students always demonstrate politeness, courtesy, co-operation and respect for others and their property as fundamental principles of behaviour.

The College reserves the right to request a student to submit any mobile device for inspection, if, in the opinion of the College, a student is suspected of inappropriate use.

The College reserves the right to confiscate any privately owned electronic equipment which, in the reasonable opinion of the College, may have been used to intimidate, hurt or offend another person or is in breach of the terms of this policy. Such equipment may be returned to parents.

De La Salle College also reserves the right to prohibit the use of certain equipment in the College where the health, safety or welfare of any person, including the owner of the equipment, is judged to be at risk. Where electronic equipment is judged to contain inappropriate or offensive material the College reserves the right to inspect such equipment.

Where equipment is believed to have been used in the possible abuse of others, or where possible legal issues may arise in the future, the College reserve the right to hold the privately owned electronic equipment until legal advice has been received.

In the case of repeated misuse of electronic equipment or where a serious offence has occurred, a student may be suspended from the College. The College reserves the right to remove from the school register any student who continues to intimidate others with the use of such equipment, despite warnings, or where a serious offence is judged to merit removal from the school.

A student, or a student party to a group, who brings the College Community into disrepute whilst identifiable as a member of the College, is subject to sanction. Sanctions may be imposed for offences – proportionate to the offence committed.

Circulating, publishing or distributing (including on the internet) material associated with school activities including but not limited to material in relation to staff and students where such circulation undermines, humiliates or causes damage to another person is considered a serious breach of College discipline and may result in disciplinary action. As part of such disciplinary action the Board of Management reserves the right to suspend or expel a student or students where it considers the actions to warrant such sanctions.

2.1 A student who is found using a mobile phone/digital device without permission will be obliged to hand it over to the member of school staff who requests it.

A refusal or reluctance to hand over the device or the complete device is a serious matter and may result in sanctions being applied. (E.g. extended confiscation, detention, suspension).The phone/digital device and its SIM card will be confiscated in normal circumstances for threeconsecutive school days.

2.2 At the end of the period the phone/digital device will normally be returned subject to the following

The school reserves the right to ensure in so far as is practicable, that the phone/digital device contains no images, recordings or material which could compromise, cause offence or upset to any member of the school community.

At the end of the three days a member of senior management will arrange to meet with the student and their parent/guardian to establish that no such information remains on the phone/digital device. At this meeting it will be required to remove any such material. If the school is satisfied that the phone/digital device contains no such material, as previously outlined, it will be returned.

Any photos or recording taken on school premises or of school personnel at any time in or out of school without their knowledge/consent must be deleted.

Where the contents of the phone reveal activities which are detrimental to the maintenance of adequate school discipline and a secure environment the school reserves the right to take any actions necessary, consistent with its aims and policies, to preserve such conditions.

Depending on the nature of the content viewed, the school reserves the right to impose sanctions on the student.

Depending on the nature of the content viewed, the school reserves the right to contact relevant outside bodies to determine the appropriate course of action, i.e. Gardaí, Legal advice etc.

In such an event, prior to any such action the school undertakes to make the parents/guardians/guardians of the student in question aware of the full facts, as known, surrounding the situation.

In the event that pastoral intervention is required the school will do everything in its power to assist the student’s parents/guardians in providing for the needs of the student.

Repeat Offences

A student’s second offence with a mobile phone will result in confiscation of the phone until the end of term. Demerits may also be issued for class disturbance.

If there is a significant incident or repeat of incidents, the Board will consider all necessary actions to preserve a secure environment for the members of the School Community. This may include long-term suspension until reliable guarantees can be secured or, in extreme cases of refusal to comply, permanent exclusion.

2.3 Incidents where students use mobile phones/digital devices to bully other students or send offensive messages or calls will be investigated under the Anti-Bullying Policy for Students. It should be noted that it may be a criminal offence to use a mobile phone/digital device to menace, harass or offend another person. As such, the school may consider it appropriate to involve the Gardaí in such incidents.

2.4 Breaches of this policy may also be dealt with under the Code of Behaviour.

3 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1 Principal/Deputy Principal/Year Head/Class Tutor/Class Teacher

• Monitor implementation of policy
• Implement sanctions in cases of breach of policy
• Review Policy
• Read, understand and adhere to the school staff AUP.
• Develop and maintain an awareness of current eSafety issues and guidance.
• Model safe and responsible behaviours in your own use of technology.
• Embed eSafety messages in learning activities where appropriate.
• Supervise pupils carefully when engaged in learning activities involving technology.
• Be aware of what to do if an eSafety incident occurs.

3.2 Parents/Guardians

Many students have entered the form of computing that sees a seamless use of their device in all aspects of their lives. It may take one comment, one remarkfor it to start to start to get out of hand. Parents/guardians should consider;