School systems around the globe face a challenge pertaining to the regulation of cell-phone use by students in schools. Without doubt, there are drawbacks and benefits of cell phone use. School administrators, teachers, parents, and students continue to struggle with policies on cell-phone use in schools since a ban is no longer accepted as the best policy.
The confiscation of cell phones, an initial reaction by school administrations, has been very controversial. Some schools take the phones from the students and never return them; others keep them until the end of the school day. In either case, parents are notified that their children have violated the school policy on the use of cell phones during school hours.
Although such confiscation policies were approved by school boards, some angry students and parents still resent the policy. In other strategies for dealing with cell phone use, some teachers require that phones be turned off in classrooms and placed out of sight; others label the phones and place them in a container on the teacher’s desk until the end of class.
Moreover, inappropriate use of the phones, especially for cheating during tests, has punishments ranging from reduction of the score by a particular percentage to failure of the exam. Disrupting class with texting, playing video games, inappropriately using the photo features, or receiving calls can affect students’ participation in class as well as grades. Not all parents want the schools to control phone use.
Some cell phone providers offer tools for parents to control phone usage, carefully customised for each child on the plan. Some parents prefer to be the ones having maximum control over their children’s cell phone use instead of school authorities. Effective monitoring and safety are the main reasons parents want their childrento to have access to cell phones during school hours. Many parents recognise the distractions cell phones can create in the classroom, and are concerned about mobile access to inappropriate content.
Recent research has revealed that texting in class, in lecture rooms, library etc, has become asignificant problem in schools. A recent university study found that 90% of collegestudents surveyed admitted texting during class. Some even admitted sending messagesduringtests.
This rampant abuse has led some professors to ban phones during tests orlectures. One of my professors once warned us that if he ever gets to see a phone in a student’s possession during a test,the owner would automatically fail the test, whether the phone was in use or not.Severe penalties like scoring zero in a test, as cautioned by my professor, go beyond the classroom.
It is a question that keeps some parents awake at night. Should their children be allowed to take mobile phones to school? Now economists claim to have an answer. For parents who want to boost their children’s academic prospects, it is no.Cell phones, and especially smartphones, can present considerable distraction to their owners and nearby classmates. Distractions come in the form of text messages, phone calls, unrestricted internet access and a host of entertaining applications. When set to run silently, these phones can also distract both when students are in class and during free periods that ordinarily should be dedicated to studying.
Cell phones have definitely become fixtures today life for most people. Phonescontinue to be upgraded with extraordinary technology that makes them even moreattractive and engaging. With their widespread use, this debate will continue.
There arepeople who believe that students should be taught about proper cell phone etiquette andpersonal responsibility for their use of the phones and are opposed to banning them. Otherssee no other alternative but to support a complete ban of cell phones in the schools.
In addition to the argument that students should be allowed to carry cell phones foremergency purposes, there well may be an argument for actually using cell phone technologywithin the classroom. Cell phone companies advertise their products’ new and trendy featuresall the time. Computers are wonderful educational tools; perhaps cell phones can be too.
Lastly, in my perspective, I think technology as a whole is useful and at the same time, it has multifarious side effects and cell phone issue with students is one big bad effect. I think banning cell phone from school will be perfect, so as to let students focus on their studies while in school.
•Huzaifah writes from Islamic Science University, Malaysia
