Debate Topic: Phones in the classroom should be banned
Pre-vote: Agree *depending on WHO is blocking them*
Government of Saskatchewan
Another difficult topic to debate! My initial feeling was one of frustration with the Saskatchewan Government who decided to implement a cellphone ban in schools without consulting actual educators. It was maddening to see someone make decisions that impact school staff and students in such a big way without understanding just what the repercussions would be. As a classroom teacher prior to the 2024/2025 school year, I had my own expectations when it came to cellphones in the classroom. Those expectations were that it must be kept in the backpack and put on silent. If a student forgot and a notification was heard, I just asked them to turn the sound off. If a student needed to contact a parent, wanted to use the music app on their phone, or had a dead chromebook and asked to use the phone to participate in a tech activity, it was fine. If a student was on their device without checking in first, I asked them to turn it off and I kept it in my desk drawer until the end of the day when it was returned. In my last year in the classroom, I had one case of cyberbullying and phone issues… I notified the parent and asked that the student’s phone be kept at home. So yes, for the most part, I did have a cellphone ban in my classroom… but there were always special circumstances.
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
This debate began with opening statements from the pro-ban side, Kritika and Maherun. A LOT of really great points were brought up in this opening statement that hit home for me, as well as some points that I hadn’t even considered…
It’s not about rejecting technology… it’s about setting clear and healthy boundaries.
Part of going to school is to learn important skills to take into adulthood. One of those skills is self-control, whether that be with anger, noise, or cellphone use.
We can all agree that self-control is a hard thing to learn for students (and also adults), so there is a need to take the temptation away and set a boundary in the classroom. In this official NSW government report regarding mobile devices, it is recommended that “… a state-wide restriction be placed on the use of smartphones for students in primary school…” I find it hard to disagree with this recommendation – our youngest students struggle the most with their self-control and would benefit from being away from smartphones while they are at school. This is a healthy boundary, just like putting your phone away at the dinner table is a clear boundary, or turning your phone off in a movie theater is a clear boundary. There shouldn’t be much of a difference in expectation here.
Learning tools, or constant distractions?
Another point brought up was that although cellphones are powerful tools that students 
can use to learn anything and everything under the sun, it doesn’t mean that’s the way they are being used. This article by Louis-Phillipe Beland did have some pretty compelling evidence, stating that “we found banning mobile phones at school leads to an increase in student performance… test scores of students aged 16 increased by 6.4%” which seems pretty amazing! The data for low-achieving students was even more dramatic: “The effects were twice as large for low-achieving students…” Who can argue with that? Well, Beland can: “Our results suggest low-performing students are more likely to be distracted by the presence of mobile phones…” There it is. If there are bigger results in low-achieving students vs. high-achieving students, perhaps it goes beyond phones. What is the root cause of this distraction? Are low-achieving students so distracted because they are bored, they can’t see themselves catching up, or they’re just very easily pulled off-task?
Next up was Sadi‘s equally-compelling opening statement, where she shared all of the well-researched reasons why cellphone bans should not be implemented in classrooms. There were two arguments she made that really resonated with me…
Banning doesn’t address the underlying issue.
This is an idea that has come up a few times in this class… does social media lead to poor mental health? Or do individuals with lower self-esteem or poor mental health just use social media more? Do students experience lower achievement because they are distracted by cellphones? Or are lower-achieving students more likely to experience attention deficits and boredom in class, leading them to reach for their phones? Just because the “lock it and block it” approach mentioned by John Spencer seems like the easiest solution, doesn’t mean it is the most beneficial. WHY are students so distracted by their screens?
Photo by JESHOOTS-com on Pixabay
Some individuals cite cyberbullying as a reason why cellphones should be banned in classrooms and in schools. Though I can understand the thought process here, it really doesn’t change anything. Whether hurtful things are said after school or during the school day, it’s still something that students bring with them into the classroom the following day. Furthermore, disrespectful behaviour is just as likely to happen IRL as it is online… as Sadie argued, “cyberbullying doesn’t start with the phone, it starts with behaviour.”
We are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Technology isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Another great point from Sadie is that we are living in a time where technology is everywhere, whether we like it or not… and pretending that it doesn’t exist isn’t going to be beneficial for anyone. The idea here is to teach responsible use over a full-blown ban. In the article Smartphone Apps in Education, authors begin by clarifying that “Smartphones are regular classroom accessories. Educators should work with children to understand the capacity of smartphones for learning and civic engagement, rather than being a classroom distraction.” (Clayton & Murphy) Another recurring theme in this class… instead of taking it away, help students learn about it!
https://www.britannica.com/event/The-Fourth-Industrial-Revolution-2119734
… Plot Twist!
In the post vote, I still agreed with the idea that cellphones should be banned in classrooms, with the caveat that it depends who is banning them and why… BUT after digging in more, doing more research, and writing about it, I am now leaning more towards disagreeing. In the podcast School’s In, Professor Antero Garcia says that as adults “… we don’t have very good use with our phones, and we use that to place distrust in the youth because they are learning from us. Because we don’t have a good solution, we decide to ban them all.” (8:50) In addition, “Don’t answer that!” concludes with an extremely important question from Robertson et al…
whose voices are missing in the cellphone debate?
Perhaps if we have an open dialogue with students and actually listen to what they have to say, we can educate them on both the advantages and pitfalls of smartphones and come up with solutions together.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Jenni
I really enjoyed reading your blog. It was so well balanced. I liked how you brought your own classroom experience into the discussion, especially how you handled phones with clear but flexible rules. It’s great that you allowed students to use phones when needed but also knew when to step in. That part about you keeping the phone in your drawer until the end of the day is really a calm and smart approach by you. Hats off!!!
I agree that banning phones doesn’t solve deeper issues like attention, boredom, or behaviour. Your point about low-achieving students maybe being more distracted because of bigger challenges really got me thinking. And yes, the comparison between setting phone boundaries and table manners or movie theatre rules make total sense.
Ofcourse, cyberbullying isn’t really stopped by just banning phones. It’s more about teaching kindness and behaviour. Yes, we are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We certainly can’t ignore technology anymore.
I appreciated the way you changed your view a little after digging into the topic more. That quote about adults struggling with phone use and then blaming kids was very eye-opening. You ended your post with a great question, whose voices are missing in the debate? That’s so important.
Just wondering, if you were to talk with students directly about phone use, what kind of questions would you ask them? I feel like your insight would be super helpful there!
Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful post!
Great post, Jenni.
I liked the point you raised about our society being in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We cannot deny that technology is part of our everyday lives, morning to night. So, should we allow access to personal technology in the classroom?
Before the government banned cellphones, I had similar policies to yours, Jenni. In fact, as a grade cohort, we had created the same policies about cell phones. This worked for us for a long time!
I have seen many students who cannot handle having a phone with them in the classroom. It is a distraction; it’s a social crutch; or they use it for evil rather than good.
I would rather teach students how to manage their time and behavior instead of banning phones. It is only avoiding or putting off a “problem” for later.
Thanks for such a thoughtful post as always Jenni! I really appreciated the way you explored both the rationale behind banning phones and the very real challenges that come with that. Your reflection about whether we’re solving the right problem really resonated with me and is such a key question!
In my own post, I shared how I used to feel fairly confident managing phones in my classroom by setting clear expectations and consequences. But now that there’s a government-mandated ban in place, I’ve noticed that the issue hasn’t gone away, it’s just gone underground. Students are still using their phones, just in sneakier, more disruptive ways, like hiding them under desks or disappearing into bathrooms. What’s been even more challenging is how this shift has created a divide among staff, some teachers enforce the ban strictly, while others are more relaxed, and students catch onto those inconsistencies so fast. When I was really holding students accountable (especially as a prep teacher in some senior classrooms), I found I was quickly labeled as the “strict” or even “unlikable” teacher, which is tough.
Your post helped me reflect even more on how much nuance is needed here. Maybe it’s not about banning or not banning, but about consistency, communication, and a shared approach as a whole school community. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks for such a thoughtful post as always Jenni! I really appreciated the way you explored both the rationale behind banning phones and the very real challenges that come with that. Your reflection about whether we’re solving the right problem really resonated with me and is such a key question!
In my own post, I shared how I used to feel fairly confident managing phones in my classroom by setting clear expectations and consequences. But now that there’s a government-mandated ban in place, I’ve noticed that the issue hasn’t gone away, it’s just gone underground. Students are still using their phones, just in sneakier, more disruptive ways, like hiding them under desks or disappearing into bathrooms. What’s been even more challenging is how this shift has created a divide among staff, some teachers enforce the ban strictly, while others are more relaxed, and students catch onto those inconsistencies so fast. When I was really holding students accountable (especially as a prep teacher in some senior classrooms), I found I was quickly labeled as the “strict” or even “unlikable” teacher, which is tough.
Maybe it’s not about banning or not banning, but about consistency, communication, and a shared approach as a whole school community. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Whoops, my computer glitched and I double posted- sorry! Feel free to delete one of them from your end. 🙂
Hey Jenni,
I enjoyed reading your view regarding use of cellphones in classroom. You mentioned how the Government of Saskatchewan imposed the rule without consulting educators, which felt frustrating. I too believe decisions like this should involve those who understand classroom realities. I too believe that the issue is not banning phones entirely, but about ways of managing them wisely. Your post has highlighted some major points like: who enforces the rules matters; setting boundaries is more effective than outright bans; banning phones may improve results but doesn’t solve deeper issues; cyberbullying stems from behavior, not just devices; and finally, that in today’s digital world, technology is unavoidable. Instead of ignoring phones, schools should focus on teaching responsible use.
In my opinion, phones shouldn’t be completely banned but should be regulated with clear rules. In my school in Nepal we implemented guidelines for use of phone such as:
– Phones must be kept in bags during class.
– Use allowed only during breaks.
– Social media apps are prohibited on school grounds.
– Posting school-related content is not allowed.
– Learning use requires teacher permission.
– Misuse results in confiscation and parent involvement.
These rules helped create a learning environment with fewer distractions. Instead of banning phones, the goal should be to guide students toward responsible and meaningful use.
Sarada