Methuen schools ban cellphones, superintendent says devices are "addictions" for students
METHUEN – Methuen school officials agreed to ban the use of cellphones during instructional time in the upcoming year, calling the devices "addictions" and disruptive to learning.
The district finalized its cellphone policy during a Methuen School Committee meeting last week.
Methuen schools ban cellphones
Students are asked to place their phones in a bin or plastic sleeve during class time. Superintendent of Schools Brandi Kwong said if students' phones remain unseen during class, they won't be forced to store them away.
"This is all about not interrupting instructional time and supporting our students and our staff without using cellphones. There's no reason a student needs to use their cellphone during instructional time in that classroom," Kwong said. "I can't have teachers pat down students for cellphones. The purpose of this is for it not to become a problem during instruction. So whatever that student does, if it's not a problem during instruction, then we've solved our problem. So if half the class puts it in the pocket, and half the class doesn't, and there's not one interruption during class, then we've solved our problem."
Kwong said the decision to ban cellphones came after complaints from teachers who were constantly having to ask students to put the devices away.
Cellphones interrupting learning
The superintendent also said the use of cellphones has led to increased cyberbullying.
"This is not a situation I'm trying to make up here in Methuen. This is a national concern. The surgeon general said these social media platforms in cellphones are addictions for our kids. They don't belong in classrooms during instructional time," Kwong said. "I can't tell you how much cellphones interrupt our school day. Yes, there are good kids who don't interrupt the day. But there are many, many kids who do."
Methuen is the latest district to ban cellphones during class. Massachusetts leaders said in May that more than half of districts have a total ban on phones during school hours while even more have a partial ban where phones must be put away.
Lowell High School cellphone ban
Lowell High School banned the devices last year, prompting hundreds of students to sign a petition asking the school to reconsider. One member of the Methuen School Committee called its new policy a compromise, saying that Lowell's policy is "draconian."
"Quite frankly I don't care what the Lowell policy is. I only care about the Methuen policy," Mayor Neil Perry responded.
Methuen's new rule will also apply at school-sponsored events like dances. Kwong was asked why that was the case when it doesn't impact learning. She said that too many times students are using phones to record classmates in a mocking way, resulting in bullying complaints.
School officials said the policy will be revisited in the future to make sure it is working as intended.
"Our teachers need this support. Our kids do not need to be on cellphones during their class time," Kwong said.