Should Cell Phones Should NOT Be Allowed At School

[lmao m8]

In my opinion, I think cell phones should not be banned. There are many reasons like you might need it to call your parents after school. But, I would really like to see what other people say and see the other perspective. I am interested in this topic because I have a cell phone and my school does NOT ban cell phones. :)

[CoffeeSaint]

Hi, and welcome to volconvo.

I'm a high school teacher, and my school allows cell phones. And I think we both know that there is utterly no need for every student on campus to have a cellphone. If there is a payphone at your school (there are two at mine), then you can call your parents. If the office has a phone, like my school office does, then there is no need to have your own phone to call your parents. the only reason a student needs a cellphone is to text message your friends during class and play video games. That's it.

So yeah, if we are at all interested in minimizing distractions, then cell phones should be banned at school. We could also try to manage the cell phone use through rules and punishments, but I for one would love to hear the reasoning behind allowing the things in the first place.

[Slevin57]

The way I see it, Students survived without cell phones for quite a while.

They don't need a cell phone for "emergencies", The school doesn't just cut people loose during an emergancy and say "Well, good luck then.."

"En Loco Parentis" gives the school authority to make any necessary decision concerning the students safety.

Other then that everything else can probably wait until the end of the school day.

The only reason students want cell phones is because they can't go five minutes without talking to someone or want to go run out in the hall and call mom, telling her how the teacher has just wronged her.

[iclaudius]

Aaron (I assume this is your name, being that it's in your title), consider why you want to keep your cell phone in school. Are you really worried about needing it to call after school, or do you just want to text your friends? If you understand that the huge bulk of teenagers fall under the second answer whether they admit it or not, you will probably understand why some schools ban them. My high school banned them, and I won't lie: I didn't really care. I brought it to school because I really was concerned about needing it later. I didn't text in class, I didn't call people in the hall -- I just kept it hidden away in my bag where no one would know about it, and that was that. If you want the school to sanction your texting in class, your out of luck, because it won't happen. And it shouldn't, either. If you are coming up with good uses for cell phones to justify your behavior, perhaps you should reconsider why you're fighting these measures. Have you considered that it might be in your best interest to ban them?

[Jack]

Yet I can see the value of the student having a phone handy during the time they're traveling to and from school or at after-school activities. So maybe they should have a phones-off policy like theaters or require them to be left in lockers. Violations would result in having the phone kept in the office until after school.

[iclaudius]

Thing is, most schools don't enforce the rule unless you get caught doing something you shouldn't. In most cases, that's a fair thing. Mine stayed in my backpack all day, never caused me any problems. I figured, I'm not using it, they can't prove I did, I like to talk to people after school, f*ck them. It's not hurting anyone in the bag, and I have legitimate need for it off campus. Long as I don't cause problems on their time, it shouldn't be an issue.

[Slevin57]

Quote by: Isherwood Yet I can see the value of the student having a phone handy during the time they're traveling to and from school or at after-school activities. So maybe they should have a phones-off policy like theaters or require them to be left in lockers. Violations would result in having the phone kept in the office until after school.

This is what my school did. At first phones were only permitted to be used outside the school building. We went to school in a building that didn't have good reception anyway.

This helped, but administrators soon realized that any policy short of not allowing phones at all, would still cause disruptions in class with phones going off.

[Jason]

If I recall, the police were alerted to the Columbine shooting by a student on his or her cellphone…

[CoffeeSaint]

Quote by: Jason If I recall, the police were alerted to the Columbine shooting by a student on his or her cellphone…

Absolutely right. Because Columbine was unexpected. Nobody had ever gone through anything like that, and nobody at that school, or at any other school, had any clue about how to proceed. Ever since that tragedy, schools have emergency response plans in place, we practice lockdown drills, and we have police and other emergency responders practice in the school. Students on cellphones are no longer a required defense. Besides, in a modern school you have 1000-3000 kids, and probably 60-70% of them have cellphones; what chance is there that all 2000 calls to 911 are going to get through?

In the meanwhile, you have students sending text messages during class, trying to get out of class to take or make phone calls, playing video games and taking pictures, and just generally being a pain. I have no problem with the idea of allowing students to carry a cellphone to school, and using it off school grounds or outside of school hours, but on campus they should be off and away.

And shall I get into all the ways a cellphone can be used to cheat on a test?

[ZNFYRH]

My wife and I have a simple policy for cell phones in class.

If the cell phone is out, you leave the room.

Phone rings, you turn it off or leave the room.

Don't leave the room, you are punished.

And the final bit of it is that there are no make-up notes or other kind of teacher-provided assistance for time lost while in the room.

Oh, and pulling out a cell phone during a test is an automatic failure.

[Praxius]

Cell phones for the most part are useless and a waste of time inside a school....

First off.... you're in school.... who needs to get ahold of you so urgently during your classes that you need a cell phone to talk to them?

Secondly.... students already have access to computers with MSN, Yahoo, Facebook, etc.... there is no need for a cell phone in school.

Thirdly.... most of the people who talk to you on the cell phone are most likely in your school.... how about getting off your lazy ass and go find them?

Fourthly.... with text messaging and the sort, it just adds one more cheating factor during tests, etc.

Fithly.... they're unessicary distractions during class.

Sixthly.... Nobody needs a cell phone in an emergancy at a school.... chances are that if something is going on.... everybody's going to hear about it pretty quickly... you with your one cell phone isn't going to make much of a difference.

Seventhly.... there are payphones which are far cheaper then calling during day hours on a cell phone.

Eighthly..... all cell phones are now a days in school, an icon for expressing how rish and popular you are.... if you got a cell phone, then you're cool....

Ninethly.... People have been going to school for centuries without the need of a cell phone.... there is still not practical use for a cell phone in the school.

Now for those who want to cite something like they are used for protection or in an emergancy.... go hang out with the gun lobbyist, because it's an illusion. I don't need a cell phone today... if someone needs to get ahold of me, they can leave a message on my house phone, or wait until I come back.

And if you live in an area where you need a cell phone for instant communication and protection, along with a gun.... why not go all the way and strap a uniform on yourself while your at it?

Cell phones in schools are pointless, a waste of time, and have no practical use except waste time.

[brien]

Cell phones are a fact of modern life. They should be turned off in class
Students should be free to use them between classes and during lunch time.

Any student caught with a phone on in the classroom, should be reprimanded in the appropriate manner.

[gw120]

Just ban em during class time. Baning them during school as a whole is stupid, if a kids in the hall leaving he/she should be able to talk on the cellphone as long as it's not hurting anyone.

[Rinoa]

It's not a need, but if cell phones are in bags and turned off there is no reason why a student shouldn't be allowed to have it on their person. If it's caught during class take it away and notify the parent.

I can't think of an actual need, but so long as it's addition to their social life is kept out of the classroom there is no reason to not let them enter the halls.

[lmao m8]

Thax For The Information You Guys. I Don't Use My Cell Phones In Class. I Usually Turn It Off. Some Of You Guys/ Girls Gave Some Good Ideas. It Was Fun To Read Them