Staff at Blaine High school are considering placing a ban on student cell phone use during the school day. The group who is going to decide whether the ban should be put in place is called the “Operations Committee”. This group is composed of staff members who try and solve problems within Blaine High school. The members of this committee are divided on this issue. Some say phones are a distraction, while others say students can use phones as  good study tool.

The principle of Blaine High School was asked about cell phones during a classroom visit. “I don’t have a problem with cell phones,” said Mr.Phelps. “I believe students could use phones as a learning tool.” He  also adds,“ student cell phone use should be decided  by the classroom teacher-not the office.”

“Cell phones should be banned school wide,” said a staff member who wishes to remain anonymous. “They’re a huge distraction for everyone.’’

One student who wishes to remain anonymous says, “ we need cell phones for both educational reasons and practical reasons. The students should themselves decide whether to pay attention in class or not.” The majority of the student body believes he or she should be able to have phones.

One of many studies can be found regarding cell phones in school.

Researchers at the University of Texas and Louisiana State University surveyed cell phone policies across schools in four big cities since 2001, researching how exam scores changed before and after the bans were put in place. Test scores climbed by as much as 6% in schools that enacted the ban.

A member of the operations committee said the debate about phones in school is still going on. And probably will for a long time…