A very controversial debate that has been going on at this school for a while is the phone debate. some people believe phones should not be used during school, and then there are a number of people who would argue with that statement. As of now if a student is seen with a phone it will be confiscated until after school hours. However, many students are pushing back and feel that this rule is unfair and that the school shouldn’t be allowed to do this. But which side is right?

Phones have been seen to be a distraction but are they actually? The phone regulation had been set to keep students from getting distracted but the phones aren’t the reason this happens. Even without phones students are still going to find a way to entertain themselves such as playing games on their Chromebook. This just goes to show that banning phones doesn’t fix any problems, all it does is take away a useful resource. The newer generation of phones have so many functions that can boost education and if the phones are used properly then the pros will outweigh the cons.

Phones can help to prepare students for the future and they can help to teach responsibility. In the real world phones are used as a useful asset that can help with time management and they can help to  stay on top of work. Phones can help students organize their schoolwork and for all those forgetful students this can help solve this issue. But for some reason the school is wasting the potential to use phones as an asset and instead they are just being wasted.

Phones can offer security and it is a way for students to feel more comfortable. If a student is in trouble or they are having a health emergency they can easily call an emergency contact. When there is a school emergency getting into contact with a parent or guardian can be difficult. However, if kids have their phones on them then this allows for safer education and it gives students a feeling of comfort knowing that they can always get into contact with an adult.

Using Chromebooks to film videos or take pictures can be a problem for many students. What schools aren’t understanding is that Smartphones are equipped with cameras, calculators and so many more useful apps and abilities that schools aren’t taking advantage of. Why waste time trying to film a school project or using a calculator when the smartphone has all of these useful apps and more. If phones are permitted the school will be saving money because instead of having to pay for apps on the Chromebook or buying new tools such as calculators, you can have all of it on your phone and this will allow the school to have a bigger budget to further improve the schools education. 

Smartphones are very intuitive for young people. Many students are comfortable with them and it can make doing research 10x easier. Smartphones have access to over 80,000 educational apps with that number growing everyday. They offer more accessibility and convenience and they provide less stress for students. This can help students to socially learn because smartphones allow students to work on group projects, and it helps to share information with peers. 

Covid also plays a big part in this debate. With the recent outbreak in cases many students and teachers have been learning and working from the convenience of their homes. If there is group work in a class and one partner is in school and the other is at home how are they supposed to communicate. Using a Chromebook to try and solve this issue ends up wasting a lot of time when that time could have been spent working. With a phone all it takes is the click of a button to get in contact with anyone and this would solve many occurring issues. Phones are rapidly becoming part of everyday life and it’s time Bf takes advantage of this and uses phones to help improve student education and engagement.