Editorial: Cell phone policy needs revision

We live in the age of information. We carry more information in our pockets than is available at any public library.

Despite this, cell phone use is prohibited during school hours. Those who craft school policy ostensibly believe that allowing the use of cell phones will impede the teacher’s ability to educate us and therefore under prepare us for college and life.

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This policy, although somewhat understandable from the administration's perspective, overemphasizes the harm of allowing cell phones during school and fails to stop the use of said cell phones.

Let's be clear. We are not advocating for the school to allow students to browse Twitter or Instagram and watch funny YouTube videos whenever we so desire. That would be chaos, and the administration’s fears would be realized in full. However, there is no need for the handbook to specify the use of cell phones as against the rules. The improper use of a cell phone during class is no different than talking or passing notes. 

They are disruptions and teachers may deal with said disruptions as they wish in order to accomplish the sometimes exasperating task of educating teenagers. In essence, there is no reason for a blanket rule prohibiting cell phones when teachers are more than capable of handling a classroom on their own.

The school has made efforts to apply the Bring Your Own Device program with the goal of implementing kid’s cell phones and other devices into the learning process by allowing the authorization of devices to use the school Wi-Fi. 

This allows students to use devices only for education purposes when the teacher allows it which means that any other time, such as during lunch or between classes, cell phones are strictly prohibited. This is ridiculous because the entire point of barring the use of cellphones is to create a better work environment. 

We’re not working during lunch. What are we disrupting? Social conversation? Why does the school care whether we converse with friends during lunch or between classes when no education is happening at all? The policy loses credit when the reasoning supporting it is not applicable to the situation yet the policy is enforced regardless. Remove the policy and trust the teachers to control their own classrooms at they see fit. That’s all we ask, and it’s all we need.

Survey:Tell us what you think with our brief Cell Phones in School survey.

This editorial reflects the collective opinion of the LSNews.org editorial board. Its author was Aaron Davies, opinion editor. It does not represent the position of the Lampeter-Strasburg School District. Questions or concerns can be directed to lspioneernews@gmail.com.

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