Cellphones in School

United States
August 17, 2010 9:05pm CST
When I was in high school, cell phones were not allowed in classrooms. If a teacher saw it, they had the right to confiscate it for the day and it was your responsibility to get it back at the end of school. This of course upset the kids who got their phones taken. They complained to their parents who complained to the principal who reminded them that the school sent all the parents notices that these were part of the rules. Then after so many complaints, the school started changing their policies. Now, my local schools are complaining about students texting and using the internet on their the cellphones in their classes. They are distracted and cheating. The teachers cannot do anything but tell the kids to put it away, but as soon as their backs are turn the phones come back out. What's your side on this debate? What should teachers be able to do? Are cellphones that much a distraction in school?
3 people like this
19 responses
@jerikjames (1041)
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
It's true, cellphones really are distractions to students. But teachers should not make it a big deal if the student is not listening to them because of their cellphones. I think they should teach the students to be responsible by giving them the consequences of their act. I think they should let the students fail their subjects. Also, I think it would be best if the school would speak with the parents on how to address this problem. Making the students leave their cellphones at home is I think out of the question since cellphones today have become more of a necessity.
• China
26 Aug 10
I cann't agree with you any more. Of course, teachers can not be attrribulate student's distraction to the cellphone. If their teaching skill is too intersting, students will pay much attention to it.
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
23 Sep 10
Reading this discussion makes me feel really old lol. Hardly anyone had a cell phone when I was in high school. They were really expensive back then and it was a thing of luxury. And even if someone did have one it wasn't anything fancy like the cellphones of today. You couldn't go online or anything like that. I personally think that they are a distraction at school and that teachers should be able to confiscate a student's phone if they are caught using it in class. School is a learning environment, these kids should be paying attention to what is being taught instead of texting their friends or surfing the web online. I also don't see what the parents are complaining about if this policy was already mentioned in the school rulebook.
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
26 Aug 10
Oh, during my time... we did not hae cellphones yet(never mind when was this. haha) but i think that kids can bring their phones to the school, they just have to keep it and not use them while the class is commencing. I remember we have pagers back in highschool and everyone has them in their pockets! you just put them in silent mode and not itch to touch until the class is over... :D
@jothis (518)
• India
18 Aug 10
I truly believe that cell phones in school will lead to great things for our students. Cell phones are now more than even an extension of our students backpack. It can house their text book, writing utensil,dictionary, access to parents, calculator..... Now I think cell phones in school are positive..
@kaylachan (56253)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
18 Aug 10
It can be a dtraction. The problem is, it shows how uninvolved parents are in their kids lives. Seems to me that when the teacher was taking the phone, the parents gave a crap, but otherwise it wasn't that big of a deal what happened. As long as the kiid had his or her phone. Then all is right with the world. Different schools have different rules reguarding cell phones in school, or on school grounds. In some schools students had to turn their phones off during the school day. If not, not only did they risk losing the phone, but the child's behavior was subject for supention. (A little strict,) but gets the point across. The fact is, different schools handle this debate a little differently. When I was in high school I couldn't tell you what it was like in reguards to cell phones. I went to school in the 90s Cell phones barely coming out. Near the end of my school career, cell phones became a little more popular, but you could barely play games on them much less anything else. So texting and using the mobile web, were non-isssue. As for schools today, teens should not be allowed to have a phone unless they are of driving age, and actually drive. In which case those teens should be restricted to using the phone for calling, nothing else, and phones should be powered off during school hours unless in the event of an emgerncey. Heven forbid one should occour. Perhaps you should talk to your school about the rules. Perhaps renforcing something a little stricter, but something that makes parents happy should do the trick. I my self don't use my phone, or text all that much. Though I text more then I do talking, but still. I'm an adult and I pay my own bills. plain and simple.
@garson (884)
• United States
6 Sep 10
It depends on how bad or good a school can be. A good school with certain set of rules and policy would send a message to parents and students the importance of focusing on classes during instruction/teaching hours. Teachers/the schools have the right to confiscate cell phones during classroom hours. Now if parents want to contact their son/daughter for some important things, they could call the school and have the message relayed to them. Schools that let students have cell phones are not considered good schools, in my opinion. Again, it depends on the community around that school.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
18 Aug 10
I know this is difficult to solve this problem perfectly. In fact sometimes as parents, we hope our children have the cellphones so that they can call us when they meet something urgent. But the teachers will think it's quite bothering for the students to use the cellphones in the classroom. Hopefully both sides can give in and the children shall take good advantage of the cellphones rather than using it to play. I love China
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
Students when i was in high school didnt have cellphones. I got my first cellphone when I was in college. But now, there are already a lot of high school students who have cellphones these days and restrictions regarding bringing cellphones at schools depends on the school or the teacher.
@jamed28 (1903)
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
Well cellphones can be allowed in school with limitations. School should limit while a class is on going. But to totally prohibit the use of phone is not an option. You cannot control the technology now a days, so better ride with it. In the first place, cellular phone have more advantages than disadvantages.
• United States
18 Aug 10
At my daughter's high school, cell phones are allowed but must be turned off during school hours. If they are caught, the cell phone gets confiscated until after school, and the parent has to pick it up to get it back. This seems like a good policy, though my daughter says she has seen kids texting during class anyway. They don't always get caught, obviously. At her other school, someone broke into several lockers (hers included) and stole her cell phone. Good thing she didn't have much of value on it, because she never got it back. I know I do count on being able to communicate with her after school. For that reason it's nice if the kids can have access to them. The problem is, there always seems to be abuse with cell phones, where kids use them to cheat or get distracted during class, etc. I don't know what the answer is. It's too bad there isn't some clever solution to the problem.
@Onions (49)
• Singapore
18 Aug 10
Well, I think they should put more focus on making the classes interesting, which will attract attention from the students. If they ever succeed in that, there would not be a problem with cell phones. As long as the phones are kept on silent profile, it should not cause any disturbance should anyone calls or texts a message. But since it's a rule set by the school, I'm sad to say you must follow it since you're enrolled there.
• United States
18 Aug 10
I don't know if its as much a distraction issue as it is a respect issue. I mean think about how you'd feel if you were mind you trying to help someone you're not doing this for yourself you already went to school and got an education, but you're helping someone and they're using they're phone. You're trying teach someone who has not a clue about how to go about it, but they're texting laughing surfing the internet, whatever else you can do on a phone; they're doing it. Wouldn't you feel so disrespected, how inconsiderate can one be? So, ultimately it is a distraction in the end.
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
cellphones and internet can help to enhance the knowledge of the students as long as they should the limitations and the proper usage of this. I think teachers have the right to confiscate this because students does not pay attention to their lessons anymore to the parents advice the students what is the proper time of using it
@ellechoi (281)
• Hong Kong
18 Aug 10
hi. in high school , we are can use cellphones in school, but can't in the lesson. And if you use it during lesson , the teacher will confiscate and the parent of student will be call for the next day. But i'm now in college, and i can use phone in class .
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
18 Aug 10
I think students should have a specific need for a cellphone at school. They are at school to get an education , not to make phone calls and text each other. Texting during a test could be considered cheating. that would bring a whole new set of problems to a student. They should leave their cellphones in their lockers if they need to have them at school. It is just a disruption to a classroom to chase cell phones.
@gaiza12 (4884)
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
When i was in high school, our school gave us a rule that no cellphones are allowed inside the room or school premises. We sometimes bring our phones at school but will hide it under the flat forms or place it in a plastic bag and place it inside their water container so our teachers won't see it and confiscate it..they make it a point that they raid each room at least ones a week without notice so they can confiscate phones. Worse thing there is you can't get your phones back once they get to confiscate it not until the end of school year. I think cellphone really are a distraction in school. Instead of listening to the teachers and studying for exams, students are busy with whatever it is that they are doing with their phones. Once caught holding or seen with cellphones in class, teachers should confiscate it..but of course should be returned after class and not after the end of school year. And i guess parents should also tell their kids not to bring phones at school so that it won't be confiscated.
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
Well I think cellphones should be used properly in school. I would like my son to bring his cellphone in school so if ever he need to say something I can contact him. He is in Grade 5 elementary level. I confronted his adviser because my son said that cellphones are not allowed in their school. His adviser told me that it's a distraction because while having class, student's need to pay attention to the teacher and not to the cellphone when somebody text or calls. Then during exams it can be use for cheating. And it is unsafe for a child to bring it because there are many bad people around that may interest to rob the cellphone and the life of the child is also in danger. so they advice us parents to just call the school cellphone numbers (Which are also given to us) if we have some important things to say to our children we can easily talk to them. That they also advice all the student's that if they want to send sms or call their parents, they can use the school phones. So everything is settled now.
• Philippines
18 Aug 10
Cellphones can indeed be distracting in class. Texting and playing games on the cellphone can divert the student's attention from the lesson. Any parent wouldn't want that. This should be explained to the parents who in turn can instruct their children not to use their cellphones during class. This may help back-up the teacher whenever they tell the students to turn-off their cellphones in class.
• India
18 Aug 10
carrying cell phones should not allowed by schools, parents also co-operate with the management because it may create some new sence some time it may loss our growing future