How long can a school keep a student's cellphone confiscated?

[Kevin]

If you get caught with your cellphone more then one time, you loose it for the semester. Even more so, the principal can force you to turnover your password and search through your messages and compile a list of students that you texted during class hours.

With my blackberry receiving both text messages, having direct access to my email accounts, messenger and facebook. Under what circumstances can a principal do this? If am offline on my macbook my phone automatically kicks in it's messenger service and my contacts show up. I do not delete my messages on my blackberry until the memory is full (currently there are more than five thousand messages stored on my phone).

If you refuse to handover your battery or the password to the phone you will receive an immediate suspension.

I want to be clear here: I am not an irresponsible student; I don't use my phone often, if at all during class hours. I agree that rules are rules, and if you break them you deserve the consciences however I also believe that principals under estimate a students ability to question their behavior. And I truly believe that though a principal is in a difficult situation – they have to be reasonable.
So: is this “legal” (Ontario, Canada) if it is legal, could it be easily debated upon within the legal system? Don’t worry I’m not planning on bringing on a lawsuit against my school, just an interested individual.
Could I report my phone as stolen? To prevent unauthorized access to my account and phone services?

 

[Cati]

It depends on which school you are going to, but at the school(s) i have been to they confiscate until the end of the year.

 

[Dylan - Grade 11]

Confiscating phones is one of the most dangerous things a teacher can do, in my mind.
I am currently a grade 11 student, attending a relatively small rural high school. My phone is a Blackberry Torch 9800, and I cannot stress enough how important it is. My parents both work very busy jobs, travelling out of the country on a regular basis, and even when they are just working, it is extremely hard to reach them. In reality, I, as a person, belong to my parents, and my parents only. Though I am subject to authority, (teachers, police etc.) my main figures are my parents.
Several times, I have had teachers try to confiscate my phone, or try to give me detentions for answering a call, but in reality, (in a non-boasting way) I am an extremely busy person.
My blackberry is my link to both my parents, my business, as well as my social life. I completely understand that teachers need to sustain order in the classroom, however I know for a fact, that a teacher cannot deny my access and communication to my parents, and I fail to see the severity of stepping out of the classroom to answer a call that was otherwise undetectable to the class. (Vibrate)
Obviously I am a very headstrong person, but not only do I feel as a student that I am limited in my rights, overpowered by teachers, and limited by the view (which in some cases is quite accurate) that all teenage people are abusive, disruptive and need to be constantly disciplined.

I make $35 000.00 - $60 000.00 by selling show horses. I have qualified for the world championships with my horses, and yes, I manage all of my inquiries, students, and lesson appointments WITH MY BLACKBERRY.

The way I see it, school is in the top three priorities, and not only do I do well in my classes, but I manage a thriving method of income and have already created a name for myself at 16.

I feel that should my phone ever actually be confiscated, the first call would be to the principal from my parents, and the second, from my uncle (who is a judge) to the school board.

I feel that I am a person, and that I am not given the respects of one in the classroom, and teachers look down on students indefinitely. At least the new generation of teachers. See, people dont get into teaching anymore because they love it, they do it because it will set you for life, and for a large portion, they have this attitude towards students!

Am I wrong to think that confiscation should be an extinct practise?
Am I wrong to think that teachers look down on students?
And am I wrong to believe I should be treated equally?!

The school board certainly says so.

And these people are supposed to be educating me..


Thoughts? Greatly appreciated.