Cell Phones Wont be Found in the Classroom

Cell Phones Wont be Found in the Classroom

August 2, 2005

More and more schools across the United States are banning cell phone use in the classroom. Elementary, high schools and universities a like, agree that cell phones are a distraction and there isn't a need for them during class time. Schools are adding the new rules against cell phones and other electronics to their handbooks, making it official in time for the new year.

Most bans include the use of cell phones for text messaging, which is becoming a very popular chatting tool. The distraction is a new form of note passing and there is question of the devices being used for cheating on exams and such. After a student newspaper in Maryland reported text messaging cheating, several other news stories flooded in about using text messaging as a means of cheating.

That is what happened to evoke the ban at Visvesvaraya Technological University. Last January 32 students were booked for cheating via their cell phones. "One case we could prove, where a girl in MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology had an SMS message related to her question paper in her phone. She was debarred," the registrar said. Cell phones are also banned from instructors at VTU.

Many of the schools have one consequence for bring a cell phone to class, confiscation. Some schools require that the parent pick the confiscated phone up and if problems continue the cell phone is the schools to keep.

Most teachers agree that the ban is a good idea and feel that cell phones are a distraction and disrupt class time. Fergus Falls High School Principal Greg Winter noted, "I understand that they are important but just not during class."

Before sending your child off to school this next year, find out the school's policy regarding cell phones to avoid a problem. If it is needed for phone calls after school for a ride and such, have your child keep the phone in their backpack or locker and keep it turned off until class is dismissed.

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