Cell Phones at School: Nuisance or Necessity?

Slashdot It! The use of cell phones at school has generated conflict between school officials, who view cell phones as a nuisance that distracts students from school activities, and parents, who say the devices let them stay in touch with their children more easily.

Many students use cell phones and that number is growing. Meanwhile, carriers and cell phone suppliers have expanded their markets to a near-saturation point among adults.

"Companies such as Walt Disney have developed cell phones targeted at children, and the devices are gaining traction," said Neil Strother, an industry analyst with The NPD Group.

Cell phones are ubiquitous in high school, common in middle school and making their way into elementary school. Seventy percent of students in grades six through 12 and 61 percent of students in grades three through six use a cell phone either during school or on their free time, according to NetDay, a national nonprofit group that promotes the use of technology in schools.

Copying during exams Cheating is also an issue. A survey published by Who's Who in American High School Students

found that 98 percent of students now cheat, which entails copying homework, as well as violating exam rules.

For example, during a test, students might exchange text messages that contain answers to questions. Cell phones with built-in cameras present additional problems -- students can easily share photos of exams with classmates.

Parents are still in control When schools restrict cell phone use, the opposition mobilizes. After polling 1,000 U.S. parents, AceComm found that 95 percent of them want to remain in control of their child's cellular-phone use, rather than have schools set the rules.

Parents want their children to carry phones for a number of reasons. The first is safety -- if a Columbine-type of attack should ever take place, they would want to be able to contact their children.

Scheduling is another major issue for parents. Students' days are often filled with extracurricular activities such as sports, music lessons, dance classes and club meetings. When plans change, or a parent or a student is running late, a cell phone comes in handy.