by Berry O'Neill

Created on: April 06, 2009

Cell phones certainly have their place in the world, and there are several situations where it is appropriate for kids to use their cell phones. However, they should not be using them in school. For many reasons, allowing cell phones in schools would be detrimental for all students and teachers in the school.

When a student's cell phone rings, he or she is distracted from learning. Furthermore, if the student answers, they miss even more of their education. Time spent calling or texting in school is time that should have been spent learning. This leads to lower grades and a lack of comprehension for these students.

If a student's cell phone rings in class, it draws the attention of not only that student, but also the teacher and the other students in the classroom. The student's replies are also distracting; someone talking on a cell phone usually prevents everyone else around them from concentrating, and even the sound of texting can be annoying. If even one student uses a cell phone, it will be more difficult for the teacher to teach and for the other students to learn.

It is ironic that students who spend their time texting will miss out on important lessons like spelling and grammar, because texters often butcher the English language. While disallowing cell phones in school would certainly not stop texting, it would at least decrease it, and perhaps students would learn the correct way to communicate.

Cell phones are small and easily lost. If students bring cell phones to school, it is much more likely that they will lose their phones there, especially if the school is large. If at the end of the day a student finds that his or her cell phone is missing, that student will probably have no idea in which classroom to search for it.

Furthermore, it is more likely for cell phones to be stolen if they are brought to school. Most cell phones are expensive, and the less scrupulous students will certainly try to steal other's cell phones if they have the opportunity. Some schools, in fact, have very little security or no locks on lockers, which would make it even easier for cell phones to be stolen.

A major hazard of allowing cell phones in school is student cheating. There are several ways that a student with a cell phone can find answers illegally for a test, like discreetly texting a classmate or going onto the internet. Students can also take pictures of tests and use them to help others cheat later on. If cell phones were allowed in a school, there is a high possibility that they would be used to cheat.

Some may argue that cell phones should be allowed in school for emergency situations or so that students can contact their parents. However, cell phones are not the only way of communicating. Most classrooms, in fact, are equipped with regular telephones. If a student really needs to contact someone, he or she can simply use the classroom telephone.

While a social life is certainly important to children, their education is generally considered more important. Frankly, cell phones in school would decrease the amount of time that students spend paying attention and learning in class. After all, why would a student want to learn a boring school subject if he or she could spend that time communicating with friends? There is plenty of time for calling and texting outside of school, but school itself should be a place of learning and nothing more.

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