4 days ago
Schools should ban student phone use, council says
RALEIGH — A state advisory council plans to recommend that all North Carolina public schools ban student phone use during the entire school day, including during non-instructional time such as breaks and lunch.
The draft recommendation from the Governor's Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being says eliminating use of those devices during the school day will help create 'healthy learning environments for students that contribute to increased academic achievement and improved student well-being.'
'We believe that North Carolina must blaze a trail in its efforts to improve student academic achievement and well-being by eliminating the use of personal communication devices in schools,' the council's co-chairs say in the introduction letter to the report.
'Let's give our students eight hours a day Monday through Friday where they can focus on being students, engaging actively with their friends and teachers in-person without the constant pressure of a device. Our students most certainly deserve it.'
The report, which was to be published this week, will include guidance on how schools can implement student phone policies.
Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order in April creating the advisory council. Developing guidance on school phone policies was the first job given to the new council.
The council was formed amid growing national concerns about how social media addiction is distracting students from learning. The council report cites statistics such as that students are on their phones for a median of 43 minutes during the school day.
At least 22 states have laws or policies that ban or restrict students' use of cellphones in schools or recommend local districts enact their own bans or restrictive policies, according to an Education Week analysis.
Both the state House and Senate have passed their own bills to restrict cellphone use in schools and included the language in their budget proposals. The Senate added its phone restrictions this week to a House bill on social media literacy.
Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, a council co-chair, told the members May 22 that the council probably will approve a formal recommendation, which in turn will help shape any final legislation.
One of the questions facing school districts is how complete to make the ban. For instance, some districts ban students from using their phones while they're at school while others allow them to be used during non-instructional time.
'A district should consider student age and grade ranges for these considerations and may consider different policies for different grade levels, such as elementary, middle and high school,' the council said in its report. 'As outlined previously, it is important to note that it remains this Advisory Council's recommendation that personal communication devices are removed from student use from the beginning to the end of each school day.'
The council recognized though that there will have to be some exemptions. Examples of 'legitimate exemptions' include emergencies, instructional, medical and accommodations for students with special needs.
For instance, some students use their phones to monitor their glucose levels. Students with disabilities may need to use their phones as part of their individualized education programs.
The report recognizes that it won't be easy getting parents out of the habit of calling or texting their children during the school day.
'Students, staff and families have become accustomed to having quick and easy access to communication throughout the day,' according to the council report. 'Public school units must consider what processes will be used and clearly detail how students and parents can communicate with one another during the school day if their personal communication devices are not permitted.'
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
