I've thought about cellular apple watches, as a way to know where the kid is, and so the kid can call in an emergency. Seems better than a phone, which encourages scrolling.
But my kids' school doesn't allow kids to wear smartwatches (and I can imagine why — distractions, possible cheating, etc.). Have you dealt with restrictions like these?
We have only had one incident with the smartwatches. My daughter texted us during class, which got it taken away. Probably she wouldn't have gotten caught aside from the fact that she was using voice recognition to dictate the message. We had a chat with her teacher and the principal, and they agreed to give her a second chance provided she agreed not to text during class. This was in 5th grade, at her elementary school. My son still goes there.
The middle school has a no smartphone, no headphone policy, but they don't single out smartwatches. From their discussion points on why they have the rules they do, I imagine it won't be a problem as long as my daughter continues to abide by the 'do not text during class' rule. They're not trying to lock down the school, just eliminate distractions during class.
Most public school rules have clearly identified exceptions and guidelines for how to apply them. Someone who has a medical need will be allowed the devices they need. It's a fairly small fraction of students that require accommodation.
I wonder if they tolerate basic cellular watches, like GizmoWatch? We have one for our 9 y/o and it seems like good value. We can know where she's at and can reach each other, but that's about it.
But my kids' school doesn't allow kids to wear smartwatches (and I can imagine why — distractions, possible cheating, etc.). Have you dealt with restrictions like these?