All cell phones must be turned off COMPLETELY and stowed out of sight during the school day. Emergency use of cell phones is permitted ONLY when students go to the main office to use their cell phones. –George Mason High School Agenda

Here at George Mason there is a strict rule that students cannot have their cell phones on at any time during the school day. Along with this rule, there are instructions for staff to confiscate cell phones in cases of inappropriate use. This is a minor improvement from a previous rule that students could not have their cell phones at all in school, whether on, or off.

When the school loosened its rule by permitting powered off cell phones in the school they acknowledged that there are times where it is appropriate and necessary to use a cell phone in school. The school does have a rule as indicated in the agenda, that students who need to have emergency use of their phones can do so in the office.

There are a lot of times when phones could become distracting; during class for example, or when students use their cell phones to play games, or when a cell phone rings in class. Rules to prevent these things from happening are perfectly appropriate. However, restricting cell phone use only to emergencies eliminates a lot of completely harmless benefits that cell phones can bring us during the school day.

If a student were to leave home a vital part of a project that they were to turn in during last block; would that student hinder anyone else’s school experience by using his cell phone to call someone at home to drop it off during their lunch or nutrition break? I cannot see how someone going out in the courtyard or outside the cafeteria to call a parent could hurt anything. Not to say that students should be talking on their phones in the hallway between classes but this decree of no cell phones until 2:45 is unbearable.

Both sides have valid convictions on this matter. On one hand, the school cannot have 500 kids walking down the hallway yapping on their cell phones, but zero tolerance is not the answer. There are definitely alternatives to the "emergency only" rule. There are times during the school day that it is appropriate for students to make a call on their cell phone.

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