Camera Phone Rules That Don't Seem New

from the what's-the-point? dept

Tue, Apr 27th 2004 2:56pm — Mike Masnick

Over in Australia, the government is sending out a set of camera phone guidelines to schools suggesting they implement the rules to deal with the growing popularity of camera phones. The rules include banning the use of camera phones in locker rooms and bathrooms, as well as disciplining those students who use camera phones to cheat or bully other students. These are all actions that require punishment, but I'm wondering why the technology needs to be singled out. I would assume that it's pretty obvious that you shouldn't be taking pictures in a locker room or bathroom. Isn't that already "banned" by the school? Similarly, bullying or cheating seems like the type of thing that the school already has rules against. Why create a separate classification that involves the use of a camera phone. All it does is demonize the technology, rather than the action. Even worse, those who came up with the guidelines admits that there's no known problem with camera phones in schools - but they're trying to stop it before it becomes a problem. So, they're trying to solve a non-existent problem by putting in place rules that are already in place. That seems positively useless.

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4 Comments

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bbay, 28 Apr 2004 @ 5:10am

Boundries
It's important to be very clear with students about the rules in schools.

Students are always pushing boundries, it's perfectly natural behaviour. This goes double for common sense boundries that are only implicit.

It's reasonable to include specificity in the code of conduct. It helps the administrators of course, but it also protects the students from arbitrary enforcement of unclear rules.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Apr 2004 @ 7:18am

No Subject Given
Better thought, NO DAMN PHONES IN SCHOOL!! To sound like an 'old geezer' having a mobile phone in school would not have been tolerated in my day. Just like having a gameboy would not be. You're suppose to be their to study & acquire the basics for getting along in society. Guess having the cell phones in school helps me understand why people feel free to carrying on conversations in resteraunts and while driving down the road.

idiots.
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- bbay, 28 Apr 2004 @ 8:55am
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  Well, When I was in school, it would have been permissible to HAVE a gameboy. As long as it didn't become a disruption, by being played in class, for example.
  
  What better way to develop restraint and etiquette than by having a phone and being allowed to use it only when/how it's appropriate?
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- BoilerBob, 28 Apr 2004 @ 10:12am
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  We don't live in "Leave it to Beaver" land anymore. Its great having older children have phones since many families have 2 working parents (or single parents). Plus with after school activities not all kids go from home to school back home to mom. The safety factor is a big reason that parents give their children phones. You can't make the same argument with a gameboy. The problem is using the phone in school not having a phone. What do you do with the phone during school hours? Pretending that there are no uses other then to annoy you is foolish.
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