Purpose
Excessive use of cell phones can be a significant distraction and negatively affect overall performance. Restricting their usage during school times will help students maintain focus and improve their academic results.
As Anna Lembke aptly puts it in *Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence*, “Because we’ve transformed the world from a place of scarcity to overwhelming abundance: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . the increased numbers, variety, and potency of highly rewarding stimuli today is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation.”
Some of the advantages of a device-free day during school hours are the following:
- Improved Mental Health
- Enhanced Relationships
- Heightened Productivity
- Encourages Physical Activity
- Develops Focus and Presence
NB We encourage learners not to bring phones to school and cannot be liable for any damage which may occur while the phone is in safe keeping.
Policy Rules
1. Morning Registration:
Cell phones must be turned off and handed in during morning registration.
2. Secure Storage:
Phones will be locked in a designated locker for the duration of the day.
3. Afternoon Collection:
Phones will be collected after school during afternoon registration. 4. Authorized Access:
Only the register teacher or a person with authority from the Principal may open the locker.
5. Student Responsibility:
It is the responsibility of the learner to ensure that they collect their own device at the end of the school day.
6. Uncollected Phones:
Phones not collected by the end of registration will be locked away until the next collection opportunity.
Sanctions
1. Confiscation:
Any learner found with a phone or similar device will have it confiscated for the duration of the term and the holidays. It will only be returned at the start of the following term.
2. Inclusion of Ear Buds and Smart Watches:
This policy also applies to ear buds and the misuse of smart watches.