I commend the administration and staff at Lumen Christi High School for recognizing the problems cellphones created in their school, and for responding by going cellphone-free. Unfortunately, policy moves like theirs are often dismissed as “too restrictive,” “out-of-touch” and “unrealistic.” For the sake of our young students and the teachers who educate them, I hope more schools follow suit.
Yes, cellphones are part of our culture, but does that mean they must be in our classrooms? I wonder what benefits cellphones offer that outweigh the constant distraction and seemingly unavoidable opportunities for misuse they create, not to mention the burden that is placed on teachers to police 25 or more students with personal devices.
The positive observations of Lumen students and staff regarding their new cellphone-free policy are encouraging but not surprising. Lumen’s solution to its problem is simple and full of common sense. Sometimes the best answers are.
— Rebecca Ward
Anchorage
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