Banning cell phones from schools.
By patgalca
@patgalca (18409)
Orangeville, Ontario
April 17, 2007 9:13pm CST
Our provincial government is considering placing a ban on students bringing cell phones to school. One school in our area already did this and there was a backlash from the students wherein they wrote nasty things about their principal online. A bunch of students got suspended for this behaviour. It is unnecessary to act out like that. If you want to be treated as an adult, then lashing out like this is not helping your case.
Back to the cell phones. I am 100% for this idea. I know it is good for children to have cell phones for safety reasons but, I gotta say, we didn't have cell phones when we were kids and we got by. I make sure my daughter has a quarter on her at all times so she can use a pay phone (most of the time she is with someone who has a cell phone and uses their's). But with all the little gadgets they have on the phones, I don't think they are appropriate in schools. Text messaging each other during classes is a distraction, as are the games on these mini computers. And the camera phones are an invasion of privacy for everyone. No one ever knows when someone is taking a picture of them with a cell phone. I know teachers complain because THEIR bad behaviour has been recorded on cell phones and then posted on You Tube. I spent five years fighting in litigation for disability. I learned a private detective was following me around taking video and photo of me. When I saw the film I felt like throwing up. All I was doing was driving to the local corner store and mailing a letter, or picking up a bag of milk. I spent years looking over my shoulder, even after the investigation was over and I had my settlement. The invasion of privacy made me paranoid.
I believe cell phones are a distraction in school and should be banned. I hear cell phones ringing in church and it makes me sick. Can people not be out of touch for an hour?
What do you think about cell phones being banned from schools?
15 people like this
45 responses
@cyclonewriter (2168)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Trust me, cell phones and school are not a good idea. As a teacher, you would not believe the problems we have to deal with when it comes to cell phones. The kids have access to telephones and as you said, send them with some change each day in case, but the security thing works both ways. You have that nut job kid that gets ticked at another kid and calls for big brother or a fellow gang member to come to school. The girlfriend who texts her boyfriend that another boy has hit on her and so the boyfriend storms out of class looking for his buddies to go and kick some other kid's butt while no adult has a clue what is happening. At some point, they need to get a handle on the whole cell phone issue all over the country or we are all in trouble !
@axelady (145)
• Portugal
18 Apr 07
You should not treat that issue so radically. Schools must have a regulation about having and using cell phones in classroom. I think that kids must be allowed to have and use their cells but only in recreations. When the class starts, the teacher should ask for everybody to close and shut down all cell phones and similar devices. After that, the teacher can start his lesson. If a cell phone starts to ring during classes, that kid should be suspended and evacuated from classroom. In that way, it is possible to keep some order in schools. It would be difficult for beginig, but we have to uderstand that we live in "information and communication century" and we can not forbid anyone to have and use a communication device, but we have to respect the school and teaching act.
@pamilicious (265)
• Malaysia
18 Apr 07
I personally agree with banning cell phones from school. If their reasons are so that they can call their parents in case of emergency, well u can still do it on a public phone. my suggestion is banning cell phones but install more publice phones at schools. i also get uneasy whenever i hear phone ringing in church. communication is important but they can set it to silent mode. go outside the church if the call is important. people dont like to hear those ringing tones especially during prayer!
2 people like this
@patgalca (18409)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Apr 07
My children are always using the office phone to call home, and it is not for emergencies. It is usually because they forgot their lunch. At elementary school the children are required to hand their cell phones in at the office at the beginning of the day.
1 person likes this
@sanell (2112)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I think that kids should have cell phones but their should be restrictions as to what kind of cell phones they have access to. For example....only having the cell phones that they can not make calls out on to friends nor can they text message on. They have emergency cell phones where they just push a button to call home, all fire, call police....that is it
They also have GPS on the phones too...Or prepaid plans. If my kids want to have the privilege of calling their friends, then they can BUY on their own a prepaid plan....I would rather that they have a phone on them and it be for emergencies....where I can call them, and they can call me, but they can not call anyone else as I do not want to pay for those minutes.
1 person likes this
@patootie (3592)
•
7 May 07
Kids don't know how lucky they are these days .. of course mobile phones should be banned in schools .. children are there to learn, not be texting their friends every 5 minutes ..
I had the same experience as you with having people follow me around with cameras when I was trying to get my disability money .. horrible isn't it .. anytime I moved outside my home I had to remember at all times to never be seen, even for one second, doing something I shouldn't be doing .. and for most folks disability is not be able to do something EVER again .. but not be able to do it easily or repeatedly ..
1 person likes this
@Rockmeister (467)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I have to say, i know in class this is a disturbance but i think cellphone is important. What if there is a emergency, in the family? unexpected incidents? so you need to have a cellphone for communication. It depends on the way they use this, if they are using it just to play games or talking to bf or whatsoever that is nonsense, fine, i agree but i think the best thing to do is you make a "rule" for cellphones. Who ever doesn't follow the rules, it will be confiscated. That's what they do before in my school during my High School times and it's really effective.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18409)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Apr 07
If there is a family emergency then the family can call the school office. A student can get a call on a cell phone and then say they have to leave because of a family emergency when in fact it was just a friend telling them to meet them somewhere. Going through the office gives the parents and teachers control. Cell phones take away that control.
@zameerh1 (10)
• India
19 Apr 07
It is better if the government is taking such a step, since a child goes to school to acquire basic education and if he is distracted by cell phones, i think he will lack basic education which is going to have a long term disastrous effect in his future life.
Try to create some kind of new interest in children so that they are diverted from using cell phones. It is the responsibility of the government and school officials to develop good norms so that a child feels comfortable in the schools ambience.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I can see no reason to have a phone at school for students. There is a phone in the office and many of the schools now have phones in the classrooms for the teachers to use at least around here. If they need to call home they can. If the parents need to get in touch with the student they can call the school and do so.
They do not need to be in constant contact with anyone. They are to be studying and learning not text messaging, taking photos, or calling people. I know here the students only have 5 minutes to get from class to class, they barely have time to do this so they shouldn't be calling during that time. Same with lunch, they get 25 minutes to get through the line and eat. They don't have time to call people and chat.
After school, that is up to the parents. Personally I don't think a child needs one but to each their own. In school though there are enough phones for the student to use in an emergency and the parents should go through the office anyway. If the child needs to leave early they have to let the office know first to have the student come down. All phones do in school is create a distraction and an excuse for them not to pay attention.
@katisaurus (1038)
• Canada
18 Apr 07
speaking as a student. I think if you're irresponsible enough to use the cell phone IN class for games, photos, text messaging, videos etc; then you're too irresponsible to even OWN a cell phone. I keep my phone with me at all times in school, but I keep it on vibrate. I usually have it right off but my sister just had a little boy last year and I usually go with her if there's an emergency. I'm also an emergency call for my step-brother at his school. So, if he's sick, they call me and I can pick him up after my class is over. Other than that I only use it between classes or after school, or at lunch/break. You shouldn't have a cell phone when you're too immature to own one. Don't punish every other student because a few kids mess up.
1 person likes this
@spiritwolf52 (2300)
•
18 Apr 07
I agree. I think cell phones should be banned from all schools. They are there to learn, not text everyone. Besides, they could cheat on their tests that way. Kids are getting phones way too early as it is. I have seen 6 year olds with phones. These phones can be a nightmare. What is wrong with using the payphones? They were good enough for us when we went to school.
I can just picture study hall. Phones ringing everywhere. Very annoying and distracting to others. I say ban them all. If they must take them to school then they should be left in the lockers till school is over for the day.
1 person likes this
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
18 Apr 07
I totally agree with you. We never had them at school too and we survived...lol. They should be banned totally, and they are a distraction. If the kids need a cell phone it should not be used in school grounds. It should be dropped off at the office in the morning when they arrive and they can pick it up in the afternoon when they leave for home.
1 person likes this
@easy888 (10405)
• Australia
18 Apr 07
I think mobile phones should nto be banned from schools, may be we can ban the usage of them in the classroom, but it just does not work if the children are not allowed to bring a mobile to school, they need to contact with their parents in case of emergency, or they need to tell their parents where to pick them up after school so that when tha parents cannot find their children at the schools, they can still ring them up to ask where they are.
1 person likes this
@jasdownie (165)
• Philippines
18 Apr 07
I don't think they should ban cell phones in school, but the use of them should be limited. However, rules in the school should govern how the students use it, so as to not cause distraction to themselves or others...
1 person likes this
@YoungInLove (1254)
• Canada
19 Apr 07
Well, Im a higschool student and I do agree on some of the points you have made. They are most deffinately a disturbance in the class. But I do think its harmless to have cell phones at school as long as they are in the lockers. There are times when calling the office isnt necesarily and option. A friend of mine was going to pick me up after school yesterday but told me she would txt my phone to tell me if she was for sure coming so incase she couldnt make it I wouldnt miss my bus. The office doesnt have time to deal with social calls like that, so thats where cell phones come in. As long as they are not used in anyway to distract or cause harm, then I dont see the big deal.
1 person likes this
@TheCatzMeow1 (579)
• United States
18 Apr 07
With everything that's going on in our world today, I don't think they should be banned. Our school district has rules in place for cell phones. They're not allowed to have them on during class, which cuts out that distraction. I don't think that little kids should have them but they have other devices that work like a cell for them, which can help them keep in touch with parents. I do agree that people should turn them off in places like churches though.
Wow, it's only 25 cents for pay phones where you live? It's 50 cents here.
@TheCatzMeow1 (579)
• United States
19 Apr 07
LOL Nah, it doesn't make you old because it would make me old too!
@a_robinnep (529)
• Nepal
18 Apr 07
I think cell phone disturb the education so, it should be banned minimum in classroom. After school you can use the cell phone but in classroom, teacher and students not allowed to use cell phone in my opinion.
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
20 Apr 07
First of all, I have to say, wow. A call from a payphone only costs a quarter in canada? In the states it is 50 cents, lol.
My school had a "no phones on" policy. You had to turn your phone off. If any teacher or official heard it ring, or saw you on it (speaking or texting), they took it away. It sat in a bin at the principal's secretary's desk all day, until class let out and you could claim your phone. If you were a repeat offender, your parents had to come and pick it up for you. It worked pretty well. Almost everyone got their phone picked up once or twice a year. Those repeat offenders were so humiliated at having their parents on school grounds they learned their lesson as well. But when I was in high school, no one had camera phones.
I have to say, with the recent incident at VA tech and other incidents at american schools, I don't think we should take the phones away. But stuff like that just doesn't happen in canada, does it? That is what it seems like to me, anyway.
@patgalca (18409)
• Orangeville, Ontario
20 Apr 07
Stuff like that doesn't happen in Canada? How come the whole world hears about what happens in the States but not in Canada? We have had two incidences of mad gunmen going crazy on college campuses, one just last September at Dawson College in Montreal. The shooter killed himself after his shooting spree which killed one person. Another occurred a few years back at a university in Montreal where many women were killed prompting an annual day of remembrance on violence against women.
The Toronto government agreed to ban THE USE of cell phones on school property. That does not imply that they are not allowed to have them with them. I think keeping them in their lockers is a good compromise.
@sweetjessa (234)
• Philippines
18 Apr 07
nope i dont agree with it! im also a student and they should allow us to carry our celfons in school. for emergency or something right? and that, well, the thing is, if they will really make some banning or something, why dont they just make a rule for the students to turn off their celfons or put in silent modes in time of their class...
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
18 Apr 07
My kids are grown and I think someone in school needs a cell phone to call for help. This is reinforced by what just happened at Virginia tech.
I also agree cell phones are a distraction and children should learn when and where they can use them. Just like adults, when I was working before every big meeting or class where where all instructed to turn off our cell phones and our pagers.
I too was followed around and had my picture taken when I did not know it. Someone was trying to black mail me. It is over it happened 20 years ago. When I found out I was very pernoid and scarded to leave my home. I was not doing anything wrong but someone wanted to catch me doing something wrong. The person wanted to bust up my marriage or get some money from me. It would not have been more than a few hundred dollars but it was more than they had. When I found out I threatened to go to the police (the person was on parole). That nipped it in the bud, but my selfesteem was ruined.
Good luck to you.
1 person likes this
@Nebuloso (179)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I can see where you're coming from, patgalca, but I'd like to address a couple of things you said...
It's true that we didn't have cell phones "back in the day" and we were just fine. The sad truth is that our kids are not growing up in the same world that we did. During the summer, my mom used to turn us loose on the world right after breakfast and we'd be gone and out of contact until sunset on most days. About the worst thing she could expect is that someone would get hurt falling out of a tree or twist an ankle. Today, those are the least of our worries.
The second thing is about pay phones. Have you noticed how scarce they are getting lately? Used to be, there was one inside every just about every business and on every other street corner. Now...if you're lucky enough to find one, it's usually a 50-50 proposition that it even works.
Like I said, I can understand where you're coming from, but I'm not sure that an outright ban on cell phones on school campuses is the answer. I WOULD support some sort of ban on phones in the classroom, however. I definitely agree with you on that point. :)
@patgalca (18409)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Apr 07
I don't mean university campuses because these students are adults and should know the best use of a cell phone during school. The schooling they are getting they are paying for and WANT that education so I would think they would know better than to jeopardize that. I am referring to grade school and high school.
And yes, I know the world is a different place than it was when we were growing up but where I come from, any business would let you use their phone if it was an emergency.
In the case of Virginia Tech. There were cell phones on campus and I don't think it did any good as know one knew what was going on hours into it.
@Nebuloso (179)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Oh, I was speaking of high schools as well. I'm not THAT old! lol It's bad enough that I have a daughter in high school. Don't make me feel worse! ;)
When I spoke of "campuses" I meant it as "school grounds" or "school property" rather than as a college campus.
