Students Should be Allowed to Have Their Cell Phones at School

Thank you for your response. Yes, it is quicker to contact guardians, but for what reason? As I've stated, they can simply use the office phones. What kind of emergency could be so dire that all teachers, student assistants, and the main office lose full phone connection? A student could contact a guardian for any reason, a schedule change, to be picked up perhaps from a different spot than previously changed, ect. Anyways, many students do this, and if a school averages about 500-700 students then 5 office phones will seldom be enough. Fact is, why use office phones when cell phones are simply just easier? As I’ve already argued, if students use their cell phones inappropriately the school can simply implement strict rules on cell phone usage. Also, not all emergencies occur in the classroom or even in a school building. When walking on campus, perhaps from one classroom to another or to deliver something to another teacher a student could be put in a dangerous situation where there are no authoritative figures in the immediate vicinity. “Like I said, use an office phone. NEVER have I seen or experienced a line in my schools main office for the use of one of it's 5 phones.” Argument fallacy from personal experience. Logically, a school which holds 500-700 students on average will likely have many students needing to call their parents for something. “As I've reasoned and stated, said students don't need their cell phones at school. Their not being punished, the educational facility is just taking a extra precaution for the welfare of the students. Cell phones are distracting to students, therefore it can hinder a students focus in class.” There is no reason for students to not have their cell phones with them at school. Cell phones provide a plethora of great benefits and every negative consequence of cell phones can simply be deterred through strict rules regarding cell phone usage. “Honestly, what situation could PLAUSIBLY render the phones in the main office ineffective? And what do you mean by "authorities"? Do you mean teachers? I doubt there is any situation where ALL teachers would be absent of the building, and they would leave ALL students in by themselves without supervision, it's also absurd to think an emergency could happen in those EXACT few moments when they are vulnerable. Since that theory is highly implausible and ludicrous, we can say that that point has been countered completely.” Any situation where a student is not in the vicinity of a teacher or the office phones is a situation where the use of a cell phone could save a student’s life. This situation is plausible, especially when considering a school shooting where a student vacates the campus and calls from their position, a deadly allergic reaction in which a student should call 911 immediately, a student getting dangerously y hurt while on campus but not in a building; the possibilities are endless and in a school’s effort to put the safety of the student above all things, schools should allow students to have cell phones with them. “Yeah, there is actually a LOT to use when ALL students have access to their cell phones, their focus! Schools serve the purpose of educating students with life skills and technical skills, and texting and chatting on their cell phones helps that purpose how?” As already stated, every instance of inappropriate cell phone usage can be deterred through strict rules on cell phone usage. Thank you for this debate. I hope it was at least somewhat intellectually stimulating.