Union Calls for Mobile Phone Ban in Nurseries

­The UK's union for school teachers, Voice (formerly Professional Association of Teacher) is calling for nursery staff to be banned from carrying mobile phones while at work.

The independent union - which represents education and early years staff, including nursery nurses and other childcarers - would like private nursery owners and local authorities to consult their staff and introduce 'no mobiles' policies for staff when working in the nursery.

Senior Professional Officer (Childcare) Tricia Pritchard said: "We are concerned that mobile phones with integrated cameras enable anyone to take photographs without the knowledge of those being photographed. Many mobiles have sophisticated cameras and are small enough to hide in the palm of a hand, enabling users to take high quality photographs which can then be uploaded to the Internet or sent to other people in a matter of minutes.

"A 'no mobiles' rule would protect children, prevent accusations against staff and reassure parents, many of whom had their confidence shattered by recent high profile events involving mobile phone cameras.

"Even a photograph taken spontaneously without thinking for purely innocent reasons could fall into the wrong hands or arouse the suspicion of colleagues or parents.

"I know of an establishment that has moved lockers away from the nursery area so that staff they can no longer hear their mobiles when they ring and therefore cannot take calls or send text messages until break times or at the end of the day."

Posted to the site on 16th September 2009