Should Cell Phones Be Banned in Schools?

by SodaHead Living Posted 2012/07/27 21:10:44

Related Topics: Cell Phones, School, Back To School, Teachers, students

2,553 votes
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	Yes, it's only a distraction!	682 votes	27%
	No, sometimes it's a necessity.	666 votes	26%
	No, please don't take away my phone!	185 votes	7%
	How about just turning it off during class?	1,020 votes	40%

Is it just us or did summer swing by faster than usual this time around? With August just around the corner, "Back to School" is the thing on everyone's mind. Well, if you're a student, parent or teacher at least.

It's almost time to swap bathing suits for books. And while you don't have to complete any tests or do any homework quite yet, we think now's the optimal time to get your mind juices flowing with our quick, 8-Question "Back to School" Survey. Don't worry: No matter the answer, we'll give you an "A+" anyway.

+24

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RS 2012/07/30 16:39:29

No, sometimes it's a necessity.

+6
In the post 9/11 world cell phones have become a need not a luxury. I ama teacher and I understand the distractions cell phones can cause but I also understand the distractions computers cause and we force kids to have them. Frankly as both a teacher and a parent I say YES to cell phones. The big possitive as a teacher is that the kids don't have to ask me to go the office to make a call.
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uppity to xcide13 2012/08/15 15:48:21

What incidents am I referring? You've got 2/b kidding! Let's start with teacher moslestation, then move on to school shootings, gang activity, bullying, starking by ones boyfriend, shall I continue? ... Oh, by the way, with the caliber of teachers and administrators ensconced in our schools, we best not deny our children the means of immediate communication. Also, there are bad parents that needs to be reported... a little thing called--abuse?

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xcide13 to uppity 2012/08/18 05:04:13

Did you really begin your statement with an incomplete sentence? Maybe YOU should go back to school..

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uppity to xcide13 2012/08/23 17:55:38

Oh boy. An incomplete sentence? ... Uh... no. It was questioning the question. A bit rhetorical perhaps, but... Oh, why bother... ???????

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xcide13 to uppity 2012/08/25 06:20:48

No, questioning the question would have been, "To what incidents am I referring?"

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uppity to xcide13 2012/09/24 19:02:28

eye is n scool. kench u till? Oh! u r n texass Now I understand.

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xcide13 to uppity 2012/09/28 15:18:19

LOL! It is hilarious when stupid people attempt sarcasm to mask the fact that they can't form a complete sentence.

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chrissy 2012/07/30 18:19:51 (edited)

How about just turning it off during class?

+1
it doesn't really mater if you ban them or not. in the classes that don't allow them, if you pay attention about 30% of the class is texting under their desks. so if you ban them, it's only going to make students want to bring them more. especially in high school when everyone feels rebellious.

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Bud 2012/07/30 18:19:27

Yes, it's only a distraction!

+1
All electronic devices should be in the student's lockers before the first period bell rings. I'll go further, no calculators permitted before grade eight.

Bud

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xxxheartbreakerxxx 2012/07/30 18:19:15

How about just turning it off during class?

+1
In some cases really terrible things might happen in school.

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xcide13 to xxxhear... 2012/07/30 18:35:52

+1
For which the adults have cell phones...

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sandra.hemmes 2012/07/30 18:15:53

Yes, it's only a distraction!

When I go to college class, the first thing said is that all cell phones have to be off. So, I leave it my my vehicle. Teenagers need help in focusing on school, and one way is to not allow cell phones. Maybe what would work is turning them into the teacher before class starts. Thee are advantages of having a phone at school, just not during class.

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ART 2012/07/30 18:09:21

Yes, it's only a distraction!

JUST DO YOUR SCHOOLWORK

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zarah 2012/07/30 18:01:28

No, sometimes it's a necessity.

+1
Sometimes you need to get ahold of your parents and idk about other schools but in mine you can't call til after school which by then it's already to late.

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chrissy to zarah 2012/07/30 18:22:59

we're not even allowed to use them BEFORE school starts!

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Jennifer Maesner 2012/07/30 18:00:27

Yes, it's only a distraction!

Students have access to the school phone during all school hours. They do not need a cell phone while at school for any reason. If they must bring them for after school communications, such as if they have after school sports and won't have access to the school phone, they can stay in their locker until school is out. My friends kids school already has this policy and if they even see the phone outside if the locker room, it gets taken until the parent can come pick it up, even if it wasn't in and just fell out of the backpack onto the floor.

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Camille... to Jennife... 2012/07/30 19:34:43

My school doesn't allow students to use the school phone until after the last bell, rendering it distinctly useless for many purposes.

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Jennife... to Camille... 2012/09/19 16:06:01

If there was an emergency, I can assure you that the child would be allowed to call home. The policy is there to stop recreational phone calls. Kids do not need to have access to a telephone at all except in cases of emergency when they are at school. If the need help, they can get it from an adult there at school.

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McSchraden 2012/07/30 17:58:46

Yes, it's only a distraction!

+1
It's a distraction. Most kids (and adults, for that matter) are distracted to begin with. They don't need any more help in that department.

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Lex to McSchraden 2012/07/30 18:09:17

+1
Some of us have to call our parents for after school stuff or for safety measures.

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McSchraden to Lex 2012/08/12 14:52:56

I'm not advocating that kids shouldn't have cell-phones, ipods, etc. But they should not be in use during class.

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me 2012/07/30 17:57:45

No, sometimes it's a necessity.

At least it might be seen as a "necessity" by some these days. In an emergency it would be good to have.
But USING them should be banned in classrooms themselves, including "study halls" if they still have such things, and only used at lunch time, free time or in real emergency situations.

It should be remembered that its only in the past ten years or so that cell phones became so "indispensable". My humble opinion is that they are NOT necessary at all in school, having gone through 12 years of school 8 years of higher education (college and post grad), 40+ years of working, 3 more years of "school" training for a retirement change of career, without ever having a cell phone at all. I still turn it off most of the time and never drive with it on. I survived and so did the rest of the world without them up until about 10 years ago.

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Ken 2012/07/30 17:56:11

Yes, it's only a distraction!

+2
Yes, the schools have a phone system for emergencies.

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Lex to Ken 2012/07/30 18:10:28

+1
What if you have to walk home from school and your in trouble?

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blmartech to Lex 2012/07/30 18:24:09

+2
so when a crazed gunman is shooting up the school office you feel its ok for a student to ask him to hold on a minute while he makes a phone call? people are stupid.

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xcide13 to Lex 2012/07/30 18:37:09

If you're walking home then you should choose a safe route or walk home with a friend. A cell phone wouldn't save most kids that run into trouble anyways...

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You Know IT 2012/07/30 17:54:13
nightowl 2012/07/30 17:53:17

How about just turning it off during class?

I don't care what anyone says, there'd no emergency short of Columbine that could possible necessitate a student having a cell phone on their person during school hours. That said, it doesn't seem practical to collect kid's cell phones before school and give them back at the end of the day.

I'm guessing that kids are no more allowed to distract themselves or the class with their cell phones than they ever were by talking or walking around in class before. I'm thinking that must be enough...

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Mark DeBarbieri 2012/07/30 17:51:13

How about just turning it off during class?

A cell phone and anything else that belongs to a student is private property and should be treated as such.

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denny 2012/07/30 17:43:51

Yes, it's only a distraction!

+1
in cars also

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RJS 2012/07/30 17:41:35

How about just turning it off during class?

+1
I would say that cell phone ringing or vibrating should be banned in class and that if your phone rings/vibrates, your teacher can take it for the rest of class. Same thing if your teacher catches you texting during class. But banning them altogether is extreme.

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☆FritzW☆ 2012/07/30 17:36:18

Yes, it's only a distraction!

Now a days, I get that cell phones are a part of the social fabric. But, there is no reason at all for a student in elementary, junior or senior high school to have a phone with them during the shool day. If there's an emergency, the school needs to be informed anyway, so parents would/should call the school to notify the child. If the child has a problem, she/he needs to go through the proper channels within the school (nurse, office, etc.) who then take the appropriate action necessary on the child's behalf. Other than these few reasons, a child's school day should be focussed on learning. A smartphone could be a great tool, but Angry Birds or texting a BFF in Biology isn't part of the plan.

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NoName to ☆FritzW☆ 2012/07/30 17:49:54

"But, there is no reason at all for a student in elementary, junior or senior high school to have a phone with them during the shool day."

Elementary, midle school? Agree'd, but High School? Eh... I dunno.

" If there's an emergency, the school needs to be informed anyway, so parents would/should call the school to notify the child. "

Um... if parents can communicate quickly, directly, wouldn't it make more sense than having them wait to get in touch? And what if it is an emergency where landlines are not accessible?

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☆FritzW☆ to NoName 2012/07/31 18:47:59

Ok.. a question for all of you whom answered me (and I add, quite intelligently and respectfully, thank you.. well done). Would this even be a topic if the MAJORITY of students were responsible users of their cell phones?

Ben, Sean and Lex.. all three of you sound like you're not in the majority, but how should a school handle this?

In those rare cases that an emergency occurs, I concede and readily agree that the cell phone is a very useful tool and a must have, as Lex said he has to walk home. Secuirty dictates he has a phone just in case. I have absolutely no problem with your phone being turned off and put away while in session; when you leave schoool, your phone is available for you to use for the walk home.

Sean.. I truely understand where your head's at.. but the school IS responsible for you while in session. I'm not up on the current laws, but I do know that if something happened to you (or another student) while class is on.. they're liable. So it's a tough call for me to agree with you, but good argument/response! :)

Finally Ben... I know that by the time one's in high school.. they should be 'young adults' whatever that means. :) I, personally, think that a person could readily be called an adult at 16, but I also know there are 25-30 years olds who don't h...

Ok.. a question for all of you whom answered me (and I add, quite intelligently and respectfully, thank you.. well done). Would this even be a topic if the MAJORITY of students were responsible users of their cell phones?

Ben, Sean and Lex.. all three of you sound like you're not in the majority, but how should a school handle this?

In those rare cases that an emergency occurs, I concede and readily agree that the cell phone is a very useful tool and a must have, as Lex said he has to walk home. Secuirty dictates he has a phone just in case. I have absolutely no problem with your phone being turned off and put away while in session; when you leave schoool, your phone is available for you to use for the walk home.

Sean.. I truely understand where your head's at.. but the school IS responsible for you while in session. I'm not up on the current laws, but I do know that if something happened to you (or another student) while class is on.. they're liable. So it's a tough call for me to agree with you, but good argument/response! :)

Finally Ben... I know that by the time one's in high school.. they should be 'young adults' whatever that means. :) I, personally, think that a person could readily be called an adult at 16, but I also know there are 25-30 years olds who don't have the.. shall we call it, acceptable.. level of maturity to be an adult. I point back to the beginning of this long post; it's obvious that there is an issue witih cell phone use while in school which tells me that the acceptance of responsibility to education is lacking. Tough call. :) And to the point of an emergency here landlines are not accessible.. holy crap. That sounds like a nuke or EMG bombarment occured... in which case, cell phones will also be dead. :) Joking.. but in a way if something did happen, hypothetically speaking, wouldn't cell phones be affected as well.. if for nothing else, the high volume of traffic would make it near impossible to get though possibly. Who knows Ben, there's always an answer to an answer. :)
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You Kno... to ☆FritzW☆ 2012/07/30 18:01:15
Lex to ☆FritzW☆ 2012/07/30 18:13:24

I understand that texting and playing on your phone in class is no good but I'm one of those kids that walk home and if something happens and I'm phone less I'm screwed

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Flojo 2012/07/30 17:34:10

How about just turning it off during class?

Millions of students have made it to school and sat in classrooms without a cellphone. These kids today need to learn without a cell phone to watch tv etc while at school. For safety I say just turn them off and if they don't then warn and then suspend.

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Amber 2012/07/30 17:29:17

No, sometimes it's a necessity.

+1
I live in tornado vally so the sirens always go off this time of year.. Call me crazy but I've two siblings and pets at home. :/ should something happen to them or me I rely on my phone for that.. Not the type of thing you want to find out after school. On top of that, I keep my notes for class in my phone, and we use them for a lot of class work now so yes. Phones are a necessity in today's schools.

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NoName 2012/07/30 17:16:14

How about just turning it off during class?

+1
Seriously this seems to be the most logical - it allows them to have it, take advantage of the communications, but actually attacks the issue- the use IN CLASS. Seems like a good balance to me.

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sjalan 2012/07/30 17:06:06

No, sometimes it's a necessity.

+1
I use my great grandchildrens cell phones to track them coming home from school and such. Turn their phones off and I'll find another school to send them too or home school them

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☆Katharina☆ 2012/07/30 17:03:49

How about just turning it off during class?

+1
class is ment to learn you can always talk to your friends during passing period and lunch

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