Cell Phone Dilemma
It seems that New York City Schools are facing quite a controversy when it comes to cell phones in the schools. In an effort to increase safety measures, school officials banned phones.
It wasn’t long before the school began receiving angry calls and letters from parents, however. Parents insist they need to keep the communication lines open between them and their teens for their own safety concerns. Beyond the anxiety parents experience in post-911 New York, parents have worries about more likely events, like weather-related closings and school-day sicknesses. What is the answer? The school is considering special lockers for cell phones, but that solution doesn’t seem feasible because of space and budget concerns.
What do you think? Does your school allow cell phones? How would you handle this problem? Feel free to comment.
Comments
My school allows us to bring our cell phones to school but the phones must be turned off during curriculum time. After school, there are only certain areas where we are permitted to use our phones. The school experienced several problems regarding cell phones before the permittance of cell phones, as many students sneaked the cell phones in, even with their parents’ permission. To deal with problems such as cheating, or even texting in class, there is a strict punishment. The cell phone will be confiscated and held by the principal for three months for a first offence, after which the parents will have to personally collect the cell phone. During the three months, if the pupil is in possession of another cell phone, it too will be confiscated and the punishment time is extended to six months. Through these rules, the school has managed to curb almost all problems regarding cell phones. Parents also agree on this system, deeming it reasonable, yet effective.
My school lets us bring our cell phones to school as well. They have to be turned off, and out of sight of a teacher. If you get caught with it, the teacher just says “turn it off” and that’s it. Nothing serious happens. After 3, when the bell/tone goes off at the end of the day, we’re allowed to have our cell phones out in the school itself. The rules are becoming more strict, so soon, if you’re caught texting or anything like that with your phone, it’ll be taken away.
Our school doesn’t allow cell phones to be allowed at all. Of course we are allowed to have our cell phones with us but they can not be on and can not be used unless you are in basketball or volleyball practice or if it is after 4:00.
Our skool doesnt allow cell phones at all. But i think they should as long as not in class. Because sometimes it snows here and I dont have enough time to call someone to tell them we get out early or anything.
My school does allows us to have cell phone but we cannot have it on or seen because they will give us a warning or take it away. We are allow to use it before school, afterschool or we can go to the office and call our parents for emergencies.
I live on the West Coast and so far we haven’t had this problem. My 15 year old son has type 1 diabeties and many after school activities. For his safety he must carry a cell phone. If he has a blood-sugar reaction he can call me or 911 if a school nurse is off duty. Plus I just feel better because if ever school violence was to break out he may be able to call out and get help. During normal curriculum time it is shut off but I don’t mind this since there are alot of school staff on hand.
Our school is pretty lenient about cells. If you are caught with them during a lesson the punishment depends on a teacher. Most say “turn it off”, some whip up an oral exam for the offender, and the mark counts a lot towards your final grade. Only about 2 teachers confisticate it. They have it for about a week, then your parents have to come for it.
During breaks, lunch hours and so on we can use the cell phone as much as we wish.
I think this is very important because many students from our school commute to school every day, even for as much as two hours. And if you miss your bus or whatever, a cell is a good thing to have. I understand this might be different in a American nonselective school.
I’m from Sri Lanka, in my school we’re allowed phones but only with permission from our principal. We have to give a letter in writing to her explaining as to why we need phone and then she decides whether to allow or not. Still we have to keep it with the receptionist in the morning before class times and then collect it after school. This seems to be somewhat a solution.
I live in Estonia and there isnt any restriction about using cell phones in classroom. I can freely text mesaage and sometimes taka a call too, only i have to go out of the class then. Im quite satisfied with this kind of order and i dont thnk there should be so tight restrictions as you got in the US.
My school tells us that we can have cell phones, as long as they aren’t seen or heard, meaning that we should not have them on during class. Some people do anyway and end up getting caught, but the punishment isn’t severe. After school we’re allowed cell phones, because our principals believe that we may need them in case of an emergency or if we need to call home for some reason after school, they just don’t want them seen or heard in classes.
Cell phones are not the problem. The problem is we tolarate government control over something trivial and let them pass laws that allow the sales of weapons rampid anywhere. Guns, firearms, and drugs are big business but are we that stupid to let our own generation die out there like that. Children are getting shot at schools and out of schools just to preserve the right and freedom in order to bear arms. Why isn’t the government stepping up to stop the influx of drugs into this country? How much freedom do I now have if my kids and myself are just afraid to walk out of my house or go home from school? Where’s the freedom come in now?
My High School is huge on no cell ohnes in the school but everyone who has one always keeps them with them because they don’t want to leave them in their cars where they can get stolen. They also don’t let us use them in the building what so ever. I agree with the parents of wanting to have contact with their children at all times because when 9/11 hit we had many parents wanting to pull their kids out of school early. Also I think that if we need ot talk to our parents our schools should let us have the freedom to talk to our parents whenever we want instead of the school trying to control when or when not we can talk to our parents.
my school doesnt allow cellphones. everyone takes them and has them with them at school but i think we should be able to have them and not get in trouble. what if a gunmen goes on rampage? then we can notify someone or in cases of fire,tornadoes, or even earthquake to get help there faster. but hey thats just my opinion.no i dont think we should be just chatting up a storm in the middle of class. but still we should be able to have them within reason.
our school allows cell phones but does not take responsiblity for them. We are allowedto hand them in to the school office. It’s more thaty MP3 player aren’t allowed at our school, and we are not allowed to listen to them during breks either. It’s been a habit since kids are listening to the in class. Governement should focus on what would be needed such as cell phones should be allowed as parents needs established contact but walkmans, diskmans and such shouldn’t as they aren’t needed.
i be livin life over in eastsidesanjo
and up there you betta be needin your cell 2 catch a fight or somin plus it be hella dangerous goin home u dont no if u’s gonna get shot
I think there should be cell phones in school in case of a emergency or if you forgot something at school or need to contact someone
My school doesnt allow cell phones either and i think they should. If we have a cell phone on us and get caught we get it taken away and we have to pick it up at the end of the day. If we get caught again our parents have to come to the school and pick it up, and third time gettin it taken away we have to have a meeting with the principal and our parents. The parents want us to be able to communicate with them anytime.
I am a student and i say that cell phones should be allowed in schools. My school allows cell phones but they are to never to be heard or scene, if they are then you get a detention or if you are caught texting, an inschool suspenion is a punishment as result. But i think they sould be permitted because parents need to keep in contact with their children in case of an emergency. APPROVE CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With mass call-out systems in place in most schools, the SCHOOL can contact parents if there is an emergency. If your child has a medical emergency, the SCHOOL contacts the parent! What a novel idea. Oh wait, it has worked for a very long time. Cell phones are fairly recent, remember? I HATE cell phones. Students text their mother when the teacher is “mean”. Students text each other answers to tests, during the test. Students spend much more time texting and trying to hide their cell phones than actually paying attention. But maybe it is me who is behind the times. Maybe I should text my lesson to my students and save myself the time of trying to get a word in while they text merrily along. That way I am not in competition with their social lives. And we wonder why our kids can’t read, write or do math on grade level. If we only found a way to give grades based on texting ability! A TAKS test for TEXT! I will send that on to my congressman.