This week’s visit to Harrop Fold broke new Educating… ground. 

It didn’t centrally focus on a pupil or a teacher but on the theme of technology in schools. As educators, we are aware that the incessant progress of technology means we can almost feel the ground moving under our feet. As a result, issues and opportunities often arise and we need to be ready to deal with them. But the main technological focus in episode six was mobile phones and the social networks they allow pupils to access.

I hate mobile phones. There, I’ve said it. I hate how I cannot find my way around without Google. I hate how people stare at them when they should be engaged in conversation. I hate how they have led to my having an incredibly short attention span and the need to check my phone constantly. But, mostly, I hate them in school.

Mr Povey’s argument about the power of technology in your hands seemed to be disproven by what the audience saw on their screens. 

I have never worked in a school with such a relaxed mobile phone policy but I have also never visited one where the use of mobile phones had a major positive impact on learning. Banning mobile phones in class doesn’t lead to technologically illiterate pupils who are unable to function in the modern world. 

Phones are a distraction, they are a safeguarding issue and they are divisive status symbols that can have some pretty awful consequences. You may not be able to stop them existing but you can make it as hard as possible for them to be accessible in school. I never see them in my lesson because pupils know they will be instantly confiscated. Our rule is simple: you can have them in your bag but not out. Ever. Job done.

The phones made it very difficult to get my usual weekly boost of motivation this week, because I found it so frustrating. I could see the producers and staff making a counter-argument about them being a source for good but the reasoning seemed pretty pitiful. Social media friends are rarely “friends” and the dangers can far outweigh the benefits.

Leylo was the student who made my point for me. She was living in a new environment and was both worryingly vulnerable and naïve about the risks she was taking. The school were quick to step in and it was clear that they had carefully thought out how to safeguard pupils from potential danger in school. Yet, while Mr Povey was right to point out girls will fall out anyway, it was clear that the cause of the falling out was a very modern problem. I am just glad that Leylo can learn from the experience without there being too much damage done. 

Then we had Tom, who had a much looser connection with social media in the show. His anxiety was deeply troubling to view and it made me desperate to see him succeed. It was great to see so much empathy and support from staff. Mental health issues are finally being recognised in society for the debilitating illnesses they really are and schools need to be prepared to help the pupils to live with difficult conditions.

Seeing Tom make a success of his performance (even if the rest of the band murdered In Bloom - an absolute tune) and go off to college was wonderful to see. It seemed to support the argument that social media wasn’t as useful to Tom as real human interaction and achieving something away from his mini telescreen. A lesson we can all learn from.

Now, I just need to post this on Twitter.

Joseph Bispham teaches at Forest Gate Community School, and starred in Educating the East End. He worked in politics before moving into teaching and tweets @MrBispham

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