A bill passed in the Pennsylvania Senate on February 4 would greenlight public schools to ban phones, and it prompted different perspectives in the community.
Senate Bill 1014 would implement a bell-to-bell phone ban in public schools during the school day. While senate voted to pass the bill, it still needs to be passed in the House.
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Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) leaders fully supported this bill.
“Cell phones are something that we, as active educators, see in our classrooms every single day provide distractions to our students… so a cell phone ban from bell-to-bell, we believe, is going to increase the education of all of the students across the commonwealth.” Said Jeff Ney, the Vice President of PSEA
Some families were also in full support of schools banning phones.
“I feel it will help them focus…” stated one Facebook user. However, others were concerned with safety. “I think having a cell phone is key to remaining safe,” said another.
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“With, you know, kids, especially how addictive phones are, it’ll be really good to get them out of the classroom, so banning the phones, I think overall, is a really good choice,” said Caleb Shirey, an Erie resident.
“Safety has to come first. Taking away access to our children is not acceptable. It would create such a sense of insecurity for students and for families,” said Lauren Swanson, a parent.
If passed by the House, the bill would land on the governor’s desk and if he signed, it would then go into effect.
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