Schools
Should Students Be Allowed To Bring Cell Phones To School?
Schools have policies in place that try to balance the need for safety with the problem of classroom disruption
It's the main form of communication for almost any teen.
A cell phone has the ability to field calls, send texts, take photos and surf the Internet.
All things youngsters like to do.
Not surprisingly, school districts need to have specific policies to deal with this phenomenon.
The Berkeley Unified district adopted its policies after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High in Colorado when parents expressed a desire to be able to communicate with their children at school.
District spokesman Mark Coplan said students are allowed to bring cell phones, but those devices must be turned off with the exception of lunch period and before and after school.
Cell phones can be confiscated for violating these rules and picked up at the end of the day. However, Coplan said teachers, administrators and safety officers usually just make students put the phones away when they're seen using them.
What do you think? Should phones be allowed at schools and what restrictions should be placed on them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
There is an ongoing debate nationwide over whether students should have phones on campus and be able to use them.
National School Safety And Security Services, a private company that specializes in school safety has a column with the pros and cons on its website.
They note there is a safety factor in having a cell phone when emergencies occur. Students are able to quickly get in touch with parents and other people.
They also acknowledge there is a learning component that comes with cell phones and other electronic devices. They can be useful in classroom teaching situations.
However, the company says the phones can cause disruptions in class when they ring. Students also get distracted when they are sending or receiving text messages.
The company adds phones have been used to take photos of exams and other materials.
In addition, in emergencies students using the phones en masse can overwhelm a system, preventing anyone from being able to communicate.
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