The Flint School Board made a bold decision on December 13, 2023, about cell phones in schools. According to a bulletin the board released, the students returned to class in January with a cell phone ban in place. They no longer allow cell phones and hoodies (which they can also use to hide phones) during school hours.
The board placed this ban for several reasons, citing safety and academic excellence as the two major ones. Before the board voted, Superintendent Kevelin Jones II spoke on the negative impact of phones in schools.
“When we think about our scores, when we think about all of the things surrounding the hurt and the pain that our scholars are feeling, cell phones are a big deal,” Jones said. Regarding the safety of the students, he also said, “It’s a big part of the bullying. It’s a big part of why our scholars are not on task in class.”
Therefore, the new rules, as stated by the board, are as follows. First, the ‘No cell phone policy’ states, “To reduce distractions and enhance safety, cell phones, and electronic devices are now prohibited within the school building and on school buses during school hours.”
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The second rule is ‘No hoodies allowed.’ It states, “For clear identification and a secure environment, hoodies are not to be worn or kept in lockers inside the school building or in school buses.” They ended the bulletin with the phrase “Safety first.”
Like the Flint school board, several others are either implementing or considering similar policies. For some regions, students have to lock their devices in specialty pouches when they enter the school and unlock them on their way out.
These policies are not surprising, as several places have similar rules. For example, in New York City alone, this policy has changed many times. In 1988, the government banned all communication devices, mainly beepers. The ban was flexible in the early 2000s, but they enforced it again in 2006.
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In 2015, Former Mayor Bill DeBlasio ended the ban altogether. Therefore, the rules keep changing, depending on the circumstances. Across the country, about 90% of school districts banned cell phones in the 2009-10 school year. It fell to 65% in 2015 but rose to 78% after the pandemic.
Back in Michigan, the Flint school boards have always been skeptical of students using phones in schools. They used to prohibit all devices but changed their policies to aid better learning in schools.
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According to several reports, the use of phones has caused a lot of distractions, bullying, fighting, and filming of violence. Therefore, the board had no other choice but to take definite action.
As expected, the students and many parents do not like this decision, claiming they are impractical. The parents believe they should be able to reach their children at all times, and the students just want their phones to be with them.
Do you support the ban on phones in schools?
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