Former Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg put in place a ban about nine years ago that students could not use cellphones in public schools. The premise behind this ban was that cellphones are a source of distraction for students and that they can also be used for taking photographs that might potentially infringe on a student’s privacy. Current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that now times have changed, and that its time for this ban to be lifted.
This ban was put in place some nine years ago but has continued to be irksome for parents who want to be able to stay in touch with their children when they’re at school, as well as the time before and after.
It also merits mentioning here that the ban wasn’t fully enforced. Some schools did allow students to carry their phones as long as staff members didn’t see or hear them, others didn’t, where metal detectors at entrances ensured that no phones got it. This gave rise to a small industry of sorts where students could store their phones inside a truck for as little as one dollar a day.
Bill de Blasio confirmed during a speech today that this ban will be lifted. The new policy will require an approval from NYC’s panel for education policy in February before it can go in effect, and if approved, that will happen on March 2nd.
Schools will have the power to regulate usage and will be allowed to create rules that govern use both in classrooms and school grounds.
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