To cell or not to cell
The controversy over the use of cellphones in schools is exacerbated by Governor Josh Shapiro’s support of the recently passed Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1014. This bill mandates a phone-free policy for all Pennsylvania school grounds throughout the school day. The bill is now stuck in the Pennsylvania House Education Committee since February fourth with no hearings or votes scheduled.
There are many different opinions about cellphone use in schools. Teachers claim it distracts students. Studies have shown that students check their phones at school and at home up to one hundred times a day for messages, social media, or games and thus they are losing focus which affects their grades and possibly their sleep. There are also reports of increased depression and obesity risks to students due to lack of physical exercise.
Presently, cellphone use during the school day varies in school districts throughout Bucks County. The following are several schools and/or districts and brief statements of their policies.
Central Bucks High School West (CBSD): Phones must be silent/off in class but can be used in between classes and at lunch.
Neshaminy: Phones are banned from elementary school through high school.
Quakertown: Some school officials want “responsible access” but have said they would comply if the law is passed.
Bensalem, Centennial, and Pennsbury: Phone use is allowed in hallways and at lunch.
Council Rock: No elementary school phone use is permitted. Middle schools need to keep their phones powered off and in their lockers. But they can use their phones on buses. CR North High School prohibits phone use in classes but allows it in hallways, at lunch, and on buses. CR South High School lets each teacher decide how phones in the classroom are treated. Phones can be used in hallways, at lunch, and on buses.
New Hope-Solebury: Elementary schools, phones, and other electronic devices are banned on school grounds during school hours. At middle and high schools, phones are permitted only at lunch.
With all these varied policies, I wanted to speak to a few middle and high school-aged students and their parents to get their opinions. The parents I spoke to were not in agreement with the mandates in the Senate bill that required no cellphones on school grounds during school hours. They believed that it was necessary for them to have a line of communication to their students and vice versa, especially in an emergency. The students I spoke with also said they felt more comfortable with the ability to have their phones to use in emergencies, or to listen to music at lunch to relax, or to contact parents or friends.
I was not able to reach any parents or students that agreed with a total ban on cellphones on school grounds during the school day.
If you would like to have your opinion heard, please contact your state representative so they understand how you want them to vote on this bill. To cell or not to cell is up to you. Hurry and let your representative know your views.
Carol Dubas is the author of Tripod: How Two Teenage Boys Inspire An Entire Community. She lives in Northampton Township.
