Ah, the age-old question: “Should cellphones be allowed in school?” OK, so it’s more like a 21st-century question, but if you’re a parent, teacher or school administrator, you’re likely to have an opinion on the “Should cellphones be allowed in school” debate. How you answer the question will most likely depend on the age or your child — whether you have an elementary-schooler, middle-schooler or high-schooler.
Alison Rose Evans, a fifth-grade teacher at a “bring your own device” school — a school that does not provide electronic devices to students but instead encourages them to bring in and use their own devices to aid in classroom learning — and the creator of the blog Rockin’ and Lovin’ Learning says, “Teachers that give explicit expectations of cellphone usage and appropriately monitor usage will have students that respect the great responsibility.”
In addition, students will “follow those expectations for using the devices to help them in their learning,” she adds. “Cellphones allow for creative and digital concepts and production from today’s digital natives.” Not everyone agrees, though.
For some parents, age is a major factor. Mom of four children — ages 9, 11 (twins) and 13 — Tamara Luchovick says it depends on the child’s age, “I don’t think kids under 12 should take them at all. Parents can communicate with the kids through the school.”
The Pros
Allowing kids to use phones on school grounds gives both students and parents these benefits:
- An Increased Sense of Safety
“I think that parents want/need to have kids carry cellphones for safety reasons when walking or riding the bus to school,” says Jodie Rodriguez, a former teacher and reading specialist. Amy Smith, mom of a 14-year-old high school freshman, says she thinks cellphones should be kept on silent at school, but, of course, “sometimes you need to get in touch with your child. Emergencies happen.”
- Smartphones Provide Research Tools
“Allowing students to use cellphones in the classroom for research and technology tasks provides an opportunity for them to explore resources that might not be available otherwise,” says Evans.
- They Encourage Educational Engagement
You already know that your child logs some serious hours on his cell. Why? Because he’s completely engaged with whatever he’s doing digitally. This type of engagement was cited as a major reason for using cellphones in the classroom, according to “Cell Phones in the Classroom: Teachers’ Perspectives of Inclusion, Benefits and Barriers” in the journal “Computers in the Schools.”The same study found that 69 percent of all teachers report supporting the idea of using cellphones for educational purposes in the classroom.
What About the Cons?
On the other side of the fence, some cite potential disadvantages to allowing cellphones in school:
- Cellphones are Distractions
Imagine that you’re a teacher. Standing at the front of the room, you carefully enact your meticulously thought-out lesson plan. Are all eyes on you? Possibly not. “As a teacher and administrator, they can be a huge distraction in the classroom,” Rodriguez notes, adding, “We allowed for cellphones to be brought to school, but they had to be turned off during the day and put away.”Luchovick agrees, explaining, “I think kids 12 and over should have them, but I think teachers should collect them in a basket at the front of the class and set limits on them.”
- They Make It Difficult to Enforce Rules
You might remember stealthily slipping a note to your friend during chem class. It wasn’t allowed, but you used every opportunity you could to silently communicate with classmates on your teacher’s time. The same can be said for cellphone rules at school.
- They may Facilitate Cheating
While smartphones put a world of knowledge at your child’s fingertips, they also allow for some fairly serious cheating. Cellphones provide a high-tech solution to writing notes on your forearm with marker.A poll of teenage students revealed that 35 percent admitted to cheating with cellphones, according to Common Sense Media. However, Evans notes that “banning cellphones only gives the students the desire to hide their devices and still attempt to use them, which ultimately will take away from their engagement and learning.”
Erica Loop is a mom, parenting writer and educator with a master’s degree in child development. When she’s not teaching, she’s busy creating kids’ activities.