The Wireless Report

There's quite a bit of discussion and debate over whether kids should be allowed to bring and/or use their cellphones while in school. It seems there is no clearcut answer, one way or the other.

We've reported in previous posts that the New York City Department of Education is fighting to keep a ban in place whereby no cellphones can be brought into schools by students, but that is being contested by a group of parents who say the ban infringes on their right to keep in touch with their kids, especially in the event of an emergency.

However, the argument for the other side is that kids will just use their cellphones to talk and text-message with their friends and be distracted from schoolwork.

This discussion is certainly taking place in many schools and school districts around the country, and school administrators are having to come up with policies that will satisfy their own needs as well as the parents of their students. It's not easy, that's for sure.

In my own experience, I went to Back to School Night last night for my six-year-old first grade daughter and during the principal's address to the parents, he discussed the subject by saying his policy was that kids (first- and second-grade kids!) can bring their cellphones to school, but they must remain turned off in their backpacks during the day. When school is over, they are free to turn them on as they wait for the bus or to be picked up by a parent.

I guess the issue I'm wrestling with is at what age should a kid have a cellphone? I seriously doubt a six-year-old would need one, so I think we don't need to start there. But where do you start? Is there a set age?

Certainly, it makes sense that when a kid is in school, they're in there to learn and not text with their friends. But where do school administrators draw the line when it comes to kids having them in their possession? Do they have all kids place them in a bin somewhere when they enter the school building, or hand them in to an administrator and then pick them up after the final bell?

Normally, if there was a family emergency, a parent would call the school and steps would be taken to inform the child and the process flows from there. We all know the old phrase "in loco parentis" whereby the school is responsible for a child's supervision and overall care during school hours.

However, if a parent insists that a child carry a cellphone at all times, can a school administrator stop it? And if they give an OK, what about other kids/parents? Again, where do we/they draw the line?

It's an interesting debate. As parents, it gives us great piece of mind to have the ability to contact our kids at anytime, and vice versa. However, is it necessary to have that instant contact during the course of a regular school day? What do you think?