In a significant move, Northville Public Schools in Michigan have implemented an outright ban on cell phones inside classrooms for students from kindergarten through to 8th grade. The school authorities have decided that educators will collect the mobile devices from the students at the start of the schooling day and safely store them away.
The students will then be handed back their cell phones only at the completion of the school day. This policy aims to keep the focus squarely on studies and prevents kids from potential distractions in class.
“I honestly think it’s a good step as the children need to concentrate on their studies when in school,” expressed one of the parents, Jody Kirklin. She has two kids enrolled in the Northville School District, one in the 6th grade and the other in elementary school. Neither of them own a cell phone or smartwatch. Kirklin believes that the young learners don’t need to indulge in unnecessary discussions when they’re inside a secure and safe school environment.
Meanwhile, for high schoolers, the discretion to allow or disallow cell phones inside classrooms is left to individual teachers. Another parent, Karishma Patel expressed support for this mandate but did express a concern about maintaining communication with her children in emergencies. She proposed a need for a backup communication plan to ensure the kids’ safety in unforeseen circumstances.
The superintendent of the Northville public school system, Dr. RJ Webber, assured parents that there are adequate communication facilities set up. Every classroom, as well as the front office, is equipped with telephones for emergencies. Dr. Webber, a parent himself, empathizes with parents’ concerns especially in light of the recent tragic incident in Georgia and assures that the safety of students is the priority.
Dr. Webber stated that the objective of this new cell phone policy is to ensure that the students are able to concentrate in class without any distractions that typically come with unrestricted usage of mobile devices.
