Phone pouches issued to CPC students

Students in CPC have been issued Yondr phone pouches so their phones cannot be accessed while at school, writes Brian Byrne. It's a system increasingly used at concerts and in other settings to prevent illicit recordings. 

Phones must be placed in the pouches on entry to the school. The pouches have a magnetic lock, similar to the anti-theft systems used in stores. These can only be opened at special unlocking bases by tapping to release the lock when leaving the phone-free area.

The pouches have been provided to schools following a €9 million government allocation in Budget 2025. The idea is to have a uniform method for handling phone access in schools, as an alternative to requiring them to be kept in lockers, which students have access to throughout the school day. 

Many international studies suggest that secondary school students perform better academically and socially when they are denied access to their phones during classes.

The Budget provision was controversial, with teachers' unions saying the money could have been better spent on other educational needs.

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