The use of cell phones in school is certainly old news, but an Iowa school board has reinvigorated this debate with a controversial (and apparently illegal) proposal: jam cell phone signals in school. The St. Ansgar School Board suggested purchasing a cell phone jamming device during a regular meeting this summer and subsequently abandoned due to public outcry and, more pressingly, legal concerns. According to this story from the Chicago Tribune, only the FCC has the legal right to jam cell phone signals.
What the St. Ansgar School Board is asking for may not seem all that crazy to educators. "Fighting an uphill battle" doesn't begin to describe the struggle of getting students to turn off their cell phones during class. Like many schools in Iowa and across the country, St. Ansgar already has a cell phone ban in place (meaning students aren't supposed to have phones in the building). While some might balk at the idea of banning cell phones, there are several good reasons for not allowing cell phone usage in public schools:
- They are a source of distraction for an already distracted generation of learners
- They can aid in academic dishonesty (cheating)
- They can infringe on one’s privacy (taking photos/video while the subject is unaware)
- They can deteriorate writing, speaking, and other linguistic skills (i.e. txtspeak)
- They are often a means of spreading gossip and rumors (both of which are starting points for bullying and harassment)
- They can demonstrate clearer disparities between socioeconomic groups (i.e. the brand/model of the phone, the type of calling plan, etc.), which is another source of bullying and harassment
- They can lead to dependent/addictive behaviors
This may not cover all of the consequences of improper/irresponsible cell phone usage in an educational environment, but it certainly illustrates a wide range of unacceptable – even dangerous – behavior in school. The St. Ansgar School Board might have been acting prematurely when proposing the purchase of cell phone jamming equipment for their schools, but they certainly had the education and welfare of the students in their district in mind.
Where do you stand? Share your comments about cell phone usage in school.
Comments
Oh yea, cell jammers are completely illegal. They're not "police ask you to turn it off" illegal, it's "FBI arrest you and confiscate your stuff" illegal.
You know what would be easier and completely legal? Line the building with copper mesh. It's called a Faraday cage. In the words of Magneto, "I thought you people lived at a school." Ask your physics teachers.
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