5-element Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 It was just revealed that French teenagers send around 2500 text messages per month, i.e. an average of 83 per day. http://www.psychoenfants.fr/actus-fr_Les_ados_accros_au_SMS__107332.htmlI wonder how that compares with teenagers in other countries? And also, what do they ever do that does NOT involve a mobile ... Should this be just a little scary?There was also part of a programme on systematic exam cheating with mobile phones, not just by "bad" students with poor marks, but also by "good" students, who want to do really well and can't be bothered with doing it the other way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Ceour de Lion II Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 That's a hell of a lot. I know my step daughter doesn't text anywhere near that amount.As for mobiles in exams, just ban them from school, problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 Banning them from schools has been tried, some schools are successful - but .... you have to search methodically each pupil every time they come in, as mobiles are easy to smuggle! And then the headmaster/mistress probably has to contend with some of the parents...As for exams, there are many tricks. For instance, a pupil arrives with TWO phones. One for confiscation purposes, the other, cleverly concealed, for cheating... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Did you read in last week's MidiLibre the article about mobile phones in Béziers prison and the places the prisoners hid them? [:-))]http://www.midilibre.fr/2012/09/25/telephones-alcool-drogue-les-petits-trafics-de-la-prison,567960.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I don't understand why you need to go through all that grief simply jam them. You can buy jammers for as little as £35 on Amazon UK. All perfectly legal as as well. I have a personal one that I use in my dining room and I used to use it on the train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 Does jamming block all the downloaded answers to questions then? Some pupils have photos of the relevant textbook pages on their smartphone. I thought that jamming only stops incoming and outgoing calls and texts.Norman, I didn't see the article in Midi-Libre, and probably won't read it, but just let my imagination run riot instead.[:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Just bloodery bad examiners, in my view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I don't know the truth of the situation in France but in this country many schools have a ban on mobiles. Schools know that the kids have them in their bags but if they are taken out during the school day they are confiscated and will only be returned to a parent.The idea that kids can get them out during lessons or exams is just ludicrous in my opinion.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Ceour de Lion II Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 [quote user="5-element"]Banning them from schools has been tried, some schools are successful - but .... you have to search methodically each pupil every time they come in, as mobiles are easy to smuggle! And then the headmaster/mistress probably has to contend with some of the parents...As for exams, there are many tricks. For instance, a pupil arrives with TWO phones. One for confiscation purposes, the other, cleverly concealed, for cheating...[/quote]Then no bags allowed in the exam.Anyone who is caught with a phone gets a fat zero for the year.It is very simple to implement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 That is what happens in UK schools Richard, especially for external exams such as GCSE and A levels.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 With my two, who are young enough to have been in at the start of the mobiles-in-exams problem, the issue was resolved by the simple expedient of allowing only a transparent bag or pencil case into the exam. I believe that notices were posted at the entrance to the exam rooms indicating that taking a mobile phone into exams would result in instant disqualification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 [quote user="5-element"]Does jamming block all the downloaded answers to questions then? Some pupils have photos of the relevant textbook pages on their smartphone. I thought that jamming only stops incoming and outgoing calls and texts.Norman, I didn't see the article in Midi-Libre, and probably won't read it, but just let my imagination run riot instead.[:'(][/quote]Sorry, I thought the subject was texting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 [quote user="Quillan"]I don't understand why you need to go through all that grief simply jam them. You can buy jammers for as little as £35 on Amazon UK. All perfectly legal as as well. I have a personal one that I use in my dining room and I used to use it on the train.[/quote]They are not legal http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement/spectrum-enforcement/jammers/The one I looked at on Amazon Uk has the following disclaimer "Note: GPS and Mobile Phone signal jammers may not be permissible to import into certain countries due to licensing of broadcasts or other restrictions. Please check your country's customs / telecommunications regulations before placing your order." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 [quote user="Alex H"][quote user="Quillan"]I don't understand why you need to go through all that grief simply jam them. You can buy jammers for as little as £35 on Amazon UK. All perfectly legal as as well. I have a personal one that I use in my dining room and I used to use it on the train.[/quote]They are not legal http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement/spectrum-enforcement/jammers/The one I looked at on Amazon Uk has the following disclaimer "Note: GPS and Mobile Phone signal jammers may not be permissible to import into certain countries due to licensing of broadcasts or other restrictions. Please check your country's customs / telecommunications regulations before placing your order."[/quote]It does not say they are illegal it says they must comply to CE standards, one should always obey the law, I quote the following text..."Jammers are also subject to the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC) Directive EC89/336 as amended, which has been implemented into UK law by the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2006 (Sl 2006/3418). These regulations specify that all electrical and electronic apparatus placed on the market or taken into service in the UK, including imports, satisfy specific requirements to ensure that they do not cause excessive electromagnetic interference or are adversely affected by it and have to carry the CE mark to show compliance. The European Commission supports Members States’ views that since jammers by their nature cause significant electromagnetic interference it is likely that most do not comply with the UK regulations and therefore they cannot be legally placed on the UK market. The maximum penalty for supplying non-compliant equipment under the regulations is a fine of up to £5,000. The courts can order forfeiture of stocks of equipment. Ofcom will take appropriate enforcement action, including prosecution, to enforce the above legal provisions."The bit I highlighted say "it is likely" which does not automatically say "all" and they are used in certain places like restaurants and cinemas in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Unfortunately this appears to be a law which you cannot ever comply with to achieve your required aim. The purpose of the jammer is to stop the functioning of the phone, the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC) Directive EC89/336 http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file47539.pdf states in it's 'Essential Requirements' The essential requirements for all equipment are set out in Regulation 4. These require that equipment shall be designed and manufactured, having regard to the state of the art, so as to ensure that• the electromagnetic disturbance it generates does not exceed a level above which radio and telecommunications equipment or other equipment cannot operate as intended;So no jammer can ever be compliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Well yes, Quillan - the subject was teenagers texting and using mobiles. Which led to how some (more than is acknowledged, apparently*) use them to cheat in exams - which led to HOW to conceal them so as not to get caught - c'est logique, non? The TV programme I saw (if only I could remember which it was, only 2 days ago) showed teenagers (faces blocked for obvious reasons) who were demonstrating the various ways in which they use their mobiles to cheat.* more googling and finding articles, studies, and all sorts of relevant information, official and otherwise - states that the cheating is deliberately underestimated, as it would be lead to major scandals and upheavals. Now, that is properly appalling. Betty, the transparent pencil case is good - reminescent of anti-terrorist measures in airports... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 We went down the plastic bag route long before the introduction of mobile phones. There were several reasons for it. Some kids' nervousness caused them to turn up with masses of unneeded stuff in their pencil cases and there was always the possibility of bits of paper and even tiny calculators. We used to search these pencil cases once the exam had started which made a noise and was distracting for the kids and so we chose the plastic bag route. I wish now that I could remember the year. Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now