photo taken from glasbergen.com
Should cellphones be banned in schools?
Note: Comments are moderated so be sure that your responses are expressed in a respectable and friendly way. We are here to express our thoughts toward controversial issues, not to scold or defame anyone. Watch what you say, and remember that by using this site, you agree to our Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yes they should be banned. Kids use them to cheat.
I only have just one small question about this – Why the heck does a CHILD need to take a cell phone to school in the first place?
I didn't need one back then.
Just my not-so-humble opinion.
No idea. There are specific parental complaints relating to child safety. But if you're really afraid of some psychopath shooting up the school, I don't think a cellular phone is the biggest of your problems.
After Sept 11, many parents are worried about being able to get in touch with their kids in case of an emergency. I can understand their concern on that issue.
I think it's up to each school and parents should meet with the board to let them know their feelings on the subject.
I can understand their concern in theory. In practice it's an astronomically small risk. It relies on the basis that the emergency would be at the school itself (rather than an outside personal emergency for which a student can be simply called out of class after a parent calls the school), that the school wouldn't have means of communicating with the outside world in that emergency case, or, more generally, that a direct line of communication to a child is needed at all times. Which to me is more like a neurotic fixation on children than a provision of safety.
Some simple rules on their appropriate and polite use like we have in theatres should suffice, and definitely put them away at quiz and test time. I don't think they should have to ban cellular phones in classrooms either, I'm just not sure that's a very convincing argument that parents are worried about safety. A society that fixates so strongly on eliminating any and all infinitesimal risks is at least boring, and, of greater concern, not that free. To me the argument being made that kids should have cell phones because of emergencies is more about parental control than child safety.
No, did you cheat in highschool? I know I didn't so lets not generalize.
I know that for me, my cell phone was a lifesaver on Sept. 11. After all the landlines went out at my high school, cell phones were the only way to communicate with loved ones.
If teachers are so worried about cheating, they can collect the phones at the front of the room before an exam.
yes but what about the children who don't?!?