Proposed post-lockdown restrictions on phones in schools

[Anglo]

Phones shouldn't be blanket banned from school or even from the classroom. If the mobile is being used to look something up or as a tool (such as a calculator) then I'd allow that. I used to benefit from listening to music during class in school which some teachers allowed and others didn't. I can understand not wanting pupils messaging or using social media in class.

[Pamplemousse]

How could people in council houses afford color TV? I had a black and white TV in my room in 1994 Edit: I had it until 1999.

They weren't getting hammered for all the costs of owning your own home. Different world back in the 70s. People with quite good jobs could still rent a house from the council and there were simply a lot more of them back then, in those pre- "Right To Buy" days that precipitated the housing crisis we have now. Over two million council houses were sold at a discount to their renters; one could cynically view it as gerrymandering on a massive scale in that people who bought their council houses cheaply might be more likely to vote Tory next time.

There were some desperately poor, admittedly; but some were canny and could afford stuff like this - and new cars - because back then, mortgage interest rates were crippling so the relative costs of owning your own home were quite high.

Remember when you could buy a TV by topping up the box at the side. My uncle had one and I remember having to run next door to borrow a pound for the telly.

That was more a rental thing back then - if you had a customer liable to default on payment the one thing you could do was fit a slot meter to the set. You could still buy those meters to fit to TV sets back in the mid-80s; there was a good trade in renting out refurbished first generation, even second-generation colour sets back then that had come out from the big rental chains. There were warehouses where you could buy sets by the van-load, at prices varying upon make and condition. I used to make a few quid taking first generation sets donated by friends and family, going over them and fault-finding as needed, cleaning them up and setting them up to as good a standard as possible and selling them as second sets for the bedroom.

A trick of the trade - how truthful I know not, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was true - with defaulting rental customers was to stick a pin through the aerial cable. When the customer rang up to complain that the telly was bust you'd visit and say the set had to go back to the workshop but you didn't have a loan set - but it wouldn't take long any way.

After a while, they'd ring up and complain - and the response of "well, you'll get it back when you pay the rent owed on it" usually produced the goods...

[WiredIncorrectly]

They weren't getting hammered for all the costs of owning your own home. Different world back in the 70s. People with quite good jobs could still rent a house from the council and there were simply a lot more of them back then, in those pre- "Right To Buy" days that precipitated the housing crisis we have now. Over two million council houses were sold at a discount to their renters; one could cynically view it as gerrymandering on a massive scale in that people who bought their council houses cheaply might be more likely to vote Tory next time.

There were some desperately poor, admittedly; but some were canny and could afford stuff like this - and new cars - because back then, mortgage interest rates were crippling so the relative costs of owning your own home were quite high.


That was more a rental thing back then - if you had a customer liable to default on payment the one thing you could do was fit a slot meter to the set. You could still buy those meters to fit to TV sets back in the mid-80s; there was a good trade in renting out refurbished first generation, even second-generation colour sets back then that had come out from the big rental chains. There were warehouses where you could buy sets by the van-load, at prices varying upon make and condition. I used to make a few quid taking first generation sets donated by friends and family, going over them and fault-finding as needed, cleaning them up and setting them up to as good a standard as possible and selling them as second sets for the bedroom.

A trick of the trade - how truthful I know not, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was true - with defaulting rental customers was to stick a pin through the aerial cable. When the customer rang up to complain that the telly was bust you'd visit and say the set had to go back to the workshop but you didn't have a loan set - but it wouldn't take long any way.

After a while, they'd ring up and complain - and the response of "well, you'll get it back when you pay the rent owed on it" usually produced the goods...

To be honest council homes around here are much like that. Most are working class around here. I walk past some houses and think "how the heck do you have 2 brand new audis and a range rover"

Now you mention that my uncle was definitely renting. Talking of tricks, do you remember you could cut the M.E.B electric cards to get free credit?

Thanks for that in depth post though. I didn't know it was a big thing with the TV's.

[MyNameIsTerry]

To be honest council homes around here are much like that. Most are working class around here. I walk past some houses and think "how the heck do you have 2 brand new audis and a range rover"

Now you mention that my uncle was definitely renting. Talking of tricks, do you remember you could cut the M.E.B electric cards to get free credit?

Thanks for that in depth post though. I didn't know it was a big thing with the TV's.

People used to make bake coins for the leccy meters too. Engineers would come out to collect them and it would just be full of sludge

On Steptoe and son they were putting foreign coins in theirs.

[Lencoboy]

My lad has a phone, but it isn't a smartphone. He keeps it on him so I or mom can call him. He's only 13 though. I see so many children gazing into their phone screens constantly. It's horrible. My nephew came once and was on his phone the entire time here, now he leaves it at home when he comes and he's a different kid. I do feel smartphones, and the Internet, isn't a thing young teenagers should be focusing on.

In terms of music influencing behaviors ... it's true. Take a look at the UK Drill genre where rappers rap about killing rival gang members. Rappers from the scene are always getting caught up in dramas, either they've stabbed or killed somebody, or they've been killed. A lot of young people will listen to this and be inspired by it.

17 year old rapper got done for murder recently. Video of him getting arrested at airport: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJtL9kzPWs4

Video of the stabbing: https://twitter.com/mrloqa/status/11...578881?lang=en

Just one of many. Look at the comments with how many young people are saying "free scarz". Scarz was his rapper name. The youth are desensitized because of the Internet.

There was also the video nasties scare back in the first half of the 90s, especially following a certain tragic event in Merseyside back then.

Going back to drill music, I agree with much of what you're saying about it potentially being a bad influence on youngsters, but attempts to ban it or restrict it would be futile and no doubt cause a mass backlash from the 'freedom of expression' brigades, even though said music often glorifies murder and the like. Plus the 'Free Scarz' campaign you mentioned is just totally nonsensical and totally beyond the pale. Plus it also implies that his fans seem to assume that they have a god-given right to commit the most heinous crime in the world, murder, simply because they're often hard done by, or think they are!

It really takes the mickey that people have been arrested, locked up and given ASBOs simply for being autistic over the years, or in the case of areas like Brixton and Handsworth back in the 70s and 80s, people arrested and locked up simply for being Black, even if they hadn't even committed an offence!

So Scarz fans, your 'idol' has committed murder, and has rightfully been arrested for it and will do porridge, just get over it and let it go!

[ankietyjoe]

Phones shouldn't be blanket banned from school or even from the classroom. If the mobile is being used to look something up or as a tool (such as a calculator) then I'd allow that. I used to benefit from listening to music during class in school which some teachers allowed and others didn't. I can understand not wanting pupils messaging or using social media in class.

I could not disagree with this more.

Children are having big issues being glued to the addictive nature of smart phones. If you allow them to use them in class, they will be using them for anything but school related things.

Smart phones are an absolute scourge.

[WiredIncorrectly]

People used to make bake coins for the leccy meters too. Engineers would come out to collect them and it would just be full of sludge

On Steptoe and son they were putting foreign coins in theirs.

Terry, are you in my brain? I was thinking about Steptoe and Son yesterday. I do love the episodes.

[WiredIncorrectly]

There was also the video nasties scare back in the first half of the 90s, especially following a certain tragic event in Merseyside back then.

Going back to drill music, I agree with much of what you're saying about it potentially being a bad influence on youngsters, but attempts to ban it or restrict it would be futile and no doubt cause a mass backlash from the 'freedom of expression' brigades, even though said music often glorifies murder and the like. Plus the 'Free Scarz' campaign you mentioned is just totally nonsensical and totally beyond the pale. Plus it also implies that his fans seem to assume that they have a god-given right to commit the most heinous crime in the world, murder, simply because they're often hard done by, or think they are!

It really takes the mickey that people have been arrested, locked up and given ASBOs simply for being autistic over the years, or in the case of areas like Brixton and Handsworth back in the 70s and 80s, people arrested and locked up simply for being Black, even if they hadn't even committed an offence!

So Scarz fans, your 'idol' has committed murder, and has rightfully been arrested for it and will do porridge, just get over it and let it go!

Agree with you 100%. Whoever that "scarz" lad is, he'll be forgotten in 6 months. Nobody from his "gang" will be supporting him while he does his murder stretch. People like him go into jail killers, and end up bullied because they can't back themselves up in jail. He will be shipped to a jail where there are no gang affiliations too.

There is no forgiving people like him, and it's disgusting the amount of "free blah blah" that goes on in murder cases. It proves the warped perceptions the youth have as a result of this music.

[Anglo]

I could not disagree with this more.

Children are having big issues being glued to the addictive nature of smart phones. If you allow them to use them in class, they will be using them for anything but school related things.

Smart phones are an absolute scourge.

Maybe the compromise would be to supply tablets or phones for pupils to use in class which are locked down to block social media, then ban them from using their own phones. That way they can still access music to listen to whilst working and are still taught how to research online effectively. Children need to be learn how to use technology, use it well and use it responsibly. If they can be taught this in the classroom then all the better.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I could not disagree with this more.

Children are having big issues being glued to the addictive nature of smart phones. If you allow them to use them in class, they will be using them for anything but school related things.

Smart phones are an absolute scourge.

Isn't that what teachers are for?