WE have a school rule banning mobiles from classrooms. A teacher confiscated one which rang in a lesson, telling the pupil that she should retrieve it from the head at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the teacher left it in the room and it was stolen. How should we respond to the angry parent?
Although the pupil broke school rules, the phone was her property.
Temporary confiscation of banned items is common practice, but in so doing, the school is taking responsibility for their safe-keeping and, unless it is a dangerous weapon, for returning them to the owners. The school is obliged to compensate the parent or pupil and the head may wish to have words with the teacher concerned for carelessness.
