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Where did the phone bans start?
Last year,Florida passed a lawrequiring public schools to prohibit students from using personal wireless devices, including smartphones and earbuds, during class time. Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, the nation’s eighth-largest school system, went even further,banning students from using their phones during the entire school day.
The Florida measure also requires school districts to block student access to social media platforms on school Wi-Fi andspecifically prohibits TikTok on school-issued devices.It includes exceptions permitting cellphone use for educational activities “when expressly directed” by a teacher.
Which states are next?
Several states have followed Florida, passing laws or adopting new rules this year that, with limited exceptions, ban student cellphone use either during class or throughout the entire school day. These include Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina where the new school year is already underway.
Other states have passed new policy or funding measures to help schools rein in student cellphone use.
Pennsylvania recently allotted millions of dollars in grants forschools to purchase lockable bags to store pupils’ phones, and Delaware recently allocated $250,000 for schools to test lockable phone pouches.
In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order last month directing state agencies todevelop “cellphone-free” education policies and procedures for schoolsto adopt by the start of next year. New laws in Minnesota and Ohio will require schools to adopt policies to limit cellphone use next year.
This summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York separately said they would work with state lawmakers on legislation to tackle student phone use in schools.
How are schools enforcing the new state bans?
Some schools are now racing to alert families about the new cellphone rules and put them into effect.
Among them is Sabine Parish, a small district in western Louisiana, which posted an online notice last week warning students and parents that “all cellphones and smartwatches must be stowed in lockers or powered off” during class time.
To comply with the new Indiana law, Franklin Township Community School Corp., a small district in Indianapolis, recently adopted new rules barring students from using personal cellphones, laptops or video game consoles during class.
Many schools now require students to leave their cellphones in shoe-rack-like holders during class — or place them in their lockers or in lockable bags during the school day.Other districts confiscate cellphones from students caught violating the rules and lock the devices in specialized “phone jail” cabinetsfor the rest of the school day.
How do students and parents feel about the bans?
Many parents who are used to freely texting or calling their children object to blanket cellphone bans.
Although 70% of parents agree that cellphone use among students should be “banned during class,” more than half think students should be allowed to use their phones “sometimes,” such as during lunch or recess, according to a survey this year by the National Parents Union.
Some students also object to bans on a device they rely on to take notes in school, photograph class assignments such as art work or make plans to meet their friends during lunch.Critics have said cellphone bans could also disproportionately harm students with adult responsibilities, such as after-school jobs or taking care of ill relatives. (That's a pathetic excuse)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/why-schools-racing-ban-student-143515601.html?guccounter=1