Mobile Phones Have Changed School Travel Forever
Back in the day, when a Nokia 3210 would have seemed like space aged technology, a school trip was a chance for young people to get together, chat, play games, explore new places, see new things and be children together. Somehow the always-connected nature of mobile phones means that has changed. The social media trends from home and the wider world follow students on a school trip and mean that the escapism isn’t quite the same as it was. That said, school trips are great fodder for insta-reels!
It used to be when children were on a school trip, parents might get a brief chat on a pay phone before the 10Francs ran out. Now social media and WhatsApp groups mean that they are updated every second of the day. Is that progress? Maybe. It is hard to tell. Of course, it is good for parents/carers and friends and family to be able to enjoy the trip and be reassured by the updates but perhaps the few days or a week away without communication (like it used to be) leaves more in the stories to be told when young people return home.
What are the cons of students taking a mobile phone on a school trip?
Using a phone abroad has its challenges. It is worth noting that roaming can cause issues for some travellers. (Blue Stamp provide a guide to using a mobile phone abroad to make sure that all travellers are prepared.) There is also the safety aspect to consider. Phones are valuable and it is important not to leave them lying around or left unattended. It is also important to remember to keep them charged if you rely on a phone for any aspect of travelling, like a boarding pass or using Google Maps. A power bank is a really helpful addition to any traveller’s kit!
Making sure that phones are not a distraction taking away from the enjoyment of a new city or activity is a challenge that needs strong management from teachers in charge. ‘Phone Away Time’ is important and it is good to set out your expectations of when phones can, or more importantly, can’t be used, well in advance. Parents/carers and students need to be aware of the rules! It is quite common for there to be no mobile phones at meal times, for example.
Perhaps the biggest worry is how to manage phones at night times. Setting clear boundaries here and consequences is essential. Phones can, when abused, present a serious safeguarding risk to students. One solution is to collect phones at night time at lights-out and return them in the morning. This can be difficult to manage and it is not always popular with students (or parents/carers).
How do we make the most of phones on school trips?
A mobile phone can be a really useful tool of course. Travelling in a modern world can be much easier than before phones. Boarding passes and transport tickets, travel routes, researching local points of interest and so much more. Not to mention being able to contact other travellers on the trip or staying in touch with home. Phones also provide the opportunity to find out about the places you are visiting. Many attractions will display QR codes and what would a trip be without all the photos for Instagram?!
Some top tips:
- Using What Three Words for meeting locations can be a really useful way of ensuring that students do not get lost.
- Setting timers for meeting times can be a useful tool to aid time-keeping.
- Messaging using Whatsapp Broadcast Lists is a good way of disseminating important messages to students.
- Using apps such as Trip Aid can also aid communication.
- Blue Stamp Travel’s platform Babel, available to all travellers has travel details, supporting documents, itineraries, emergency contacts and so much more at your fingertips. Check out our Guide to Babel.
Managing mobile phones on school trips and safeguarding young people with phones:
Of course, school policy and what students are used to will have a big bearing on how easy it is to manage phones on a school trip. Another factor to consider is that parents also set varying rules for phones at home meaning it can be difficult to enforce the rules you would like. Perhaps the most glaring example is phones in bedrooms at night time. Choosing how to manage this on a school trip should form part of the school risk assessment.
One tool in your armoury could be the use of “Phone Lockers” (intelligent neoprene pouches) at lights out. These are a simple solution to a tricky problem. Students lock their phone away at lights out making it inaccessible and safe. At breakfast or wake-up call, staff can simply unlock the pouches with the proprietary tool.
If you have not seen these before they are worth investigating. More and more schools are using them during the school day. For these schools it is easy to embed them into your school trip management, safeguarding and risk assessment. If however, your school does not use these regularly, you may consider buying a set for a school trip. They can be used for the trip and then reissued ready for the next school trip. For the relatively affordable cost, they can save a great deal of work in the long run!
At Blue Stamp Travel, we understand that school trips present a range of challenges, from managing mobile phones to maintaining student safety and engagement. Our bespoke group trips are carefully designed with flexibility and safeguarding at their core, ensuring well-managed, memorable experiences that inspire and enrich students beyond the screen.
Have you ever thought about taking phone lockers on a school trip? Perhaps your school has deployed them school wide already, in which case, all you need to do is take your mobile unlock device with you. If you haven’t deployed them school wide, perhaps you would consider a set for trips to give you and your parents/carers and safeguarding team some peace of mind. Our friends over at UK Phone Pouches may be able to help you.
If you are interested in a loan set for your trips, why not get in touch with us and discuss it with one of the team Blue Stamp can help.
Contact us to discuss the tailor-made packages we can create for your group, or visit our Group Trips page to explore destinations and find out more.
