State Senate President calling on lawmakers to consider banning cell phones in public schools
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)—The State Senate President's proposal to make public schools cell phone-free has sparked much discussion and debate among community members.
Some welcome the idea as they believe it could improve student focus and productivity in the classroom, but others are worried about the potential safety risks of not having cell phones during an emergency.
Cell phones have become an integral part of our daily lives, but their presence in classrooms has sparked a heated debate. Senate President Karen Spilka is calling on Massachusetts lawmakers to 'explore' a ban on cell phones in all public schools.
And many are for it. 'I think cell phones shouldn't be involved in schools at all. It's a complete distraction. If they don't have distractions, they're going to learn more,' said Brian Friedrich of Connecticut.
Spilka said in a speech to business leaders Wednesday morning that her son, a public high school teacher, often tells her about the unique challenges of teaching students who sit with a cell phone at their desk. She stated, 'There is mounting evidence that cell phone usage among students during the school day is detrimental for several reasons—from simple distraction to more worrying issues such as cheating and cyberbullying.'
However, some are not in complete agreement with banning cell phones since they believe students should be able to use them in emergencies. 'A lot of different students might have health issues where they, you know, really need their cell phone,s and the influx of school shootings in the country. That's scary. I know as a mom, I would want to be able to contact my child if I ever needed it or if he ever needed it,' said Keira Hildack of Westfield.
Some suggest setting guidelines for cell phone use, like keeping phones in a lockbox during class and then letting students have them back after the bell rings. It remains to be seen if this ban will potentially be implemented across Massachusetts school,s but Spilka says this idea has received broad bipartisan support.
According to Spilka, at least 18 states have laws limiting cell phone usage.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
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