A reader and parent writes concerning the banning of use of phones in schools:
I am a firm believer in keep your phone in your pocket in class or meetings, but that’s a skill they need to learn. I used to lean more toward no phones at school but it’s such a safety thing now….. Kids need to be able to call 911.
Judging from reports from schools, teachers, already overwhelmed with other tasks, are ineffective at teaching this skill. This, from the article, speaks to the effect of the pandemic as well:
Some educators turned to the pouches out of desperation. When students returned to school full time after learning remotely during the pandemic, their relationship to their phones had changed dramatically, said Carol Kruser, who was then principal at Chicopee High School in Massachusetts.
Instead of checking their phones at lunch, they were watching YouTube videos in class and refusing to put away the devices, Kruser said. Teachers were begging for help.
Insofar as 911 goes,
The school reminded parents that there is at least one landline phone in every classroom — and in many cases two. Teachers also still have their cellphones in case they need to call 911 (the pouches also are not “bank vaults,” Dolphin added, and can be cut open in an emergency).
However, the article did not answer the question, “And how well does that work?” And do you really want the kids carrying knives? Maybe each classroom is, not unreasonably, supplied with a few pairs of scissors.
Another reader and parent writes:
With so many active shooter drills and actual events, it seems like a bad idea to prevent kids from having phones.
I did not grow up with active shooter drills, so I’ve not been exposed to in depth discussions of this particular subtopic – and not the older parents reading this post. From the article:
In the worst-case scenario — a school shooting — students should focus on hiding and staying quiet, Dolphin said. “The whole idea that you want every kid to be taking out a phone and calling parents is the exact opposite of the safety protocols,” he said.
Mr. Dolphin, mentioned herein throughout, is Assistant Principal Raymond Dolphin, who researched and drove the introduction of Yondr pouches.
