This year a new cell phone policy was created requiring students to put their cell phones in a restricted area so they couldn’t use them during class. Many students dislike this policy while teachers seem to like it more. The handbook states “Unauthorized use of cell phones shall result in search and possible confiscation of phones.” It could be confiscated or searched if you are caught on your phone when you are not supposed to be on it. I think that there are many cons to this policy and that it could be easily improved or changed.
Many students dislike the new policy while teachers think it was a great change. In most classrooms, students have to put their phones in a storage area that could be across the room. About half the students we interviewed said that at the very least we should be able to have our phones with us. Teachers don’t have to allow students to keep their phones in their pockets; having them in their bags will make students more comfortable.
An issue that was brought up was that in emergencies it’s a lot harder to get your phone. People generally use their phones daily and rely on them for many important things. During an emergency telling students to leave their phones would mean they wouldn’t be able to communicate with family. Also, a student leaving their phone in an emergency could mean that they would never see it again. For example, if the school was on fire then students’ phones could get damaged or be completely lost.
When teachers are stricter about their phone policy, students want their phones more. So if there was no cell phone policy, some students would be less likely to go on their phones or be sneaky with them. I believe that this is a flaw in the policy. Making it so strict encourages students to try and use it more.
Although I agree that there is a proper time and place to be on your phone, even being more flexible with the phone policy would be better. Some ideas like being able to go on your phone after you finish all your work or being allowed on your phone as long as you’re not distracting the class are ideas worth looking into or testing. Many teachers agreed that the phone policy is a good thing and should be kept, but doing simple things like this could make the policy easier for students.