Should There Be A Complete Ban On Cell Phones in School?

Should there be a complete ban on cell phones in school? There are strong feelings on both sides of this debate from educators, students, and parents. This article explores how some schools in Canada are using complete phone bans to encourage students to be actively engaged in class and not distracted.

What do Educators think?

Schools aren’t just teaching content, Maharaj told CBC News, they’re also teaching “habits of mind,” including the ability to think deeply, focus for long periods of time and listen attentively and empathetically to others.

“I think that when students face this constant distraction from their phones, it reduces their ability to do those types of things,” he said.

It can also be highly problematic for educators to limit the use of phones in their classes if there isn’t a school-wide ban. If the ban is class or student-specific there is all kinds of room for pushback against that educator. Plus, if the student claims the phone was damaged while in the teacher’s care, how are disputes settled and who pays for it?

While some educators actively engage students with their cell phones in lessons. They are an easy way to do quick research projects and generate new issues to debate.

What do students think?

Students seem pretty mixed. While kids love their devices, many could use an enforced break from all the pressure of social media. Kids also see the value of not being distracted in class.

What do parents think?

Most parents I spoke with like their kids having access to their phones for safety and ease of communication. Generally, parents didn’t think their kids were the ones being negatively impacted by phones in school.

Some questions you can explore with your kids or your class:

-Should there be a complete ban on cell phones in school? Why or why not?

-What are the positives and negatives of having your phone at school?

-Have you ever been distracted by your phone while you should have been learning?

-Do you have a time when you needed your phone? Could it have waited until after school or could you have solved the issue in another way?

-Do you think a cell phone ban at your school would make for a better learning environment?

Kermode Education Can Help You Explore This Topic and More!

Contact the Kermode Education team today to see how our eLearning platform can help your kids or your students improve their digital literacy skills.

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