I think phones are required but not in class, phones should be in book bags in case an emergency, they could use there phones during lunch time but what is the point of that if they could just communicate to each other, allowed during free time is the best choice of the principal.

To continue with, using phones during class is very wrong, phones should be taken away until the end of the school, most kids like talking to there friends all day long, the only thing they do is text each other during class, which is disrespectful to the teacher.

Further more, they should be used during any brake time they have but that is pointless, there should be a recess in every school because they would communicate to each other and wont be communicating during class.

All in all, recess is helpful for not texting or using there phones during class, recess is fun but there is no fun in every school, being strict is ok but really strict is just crossing the line and "hanging the children until see the white light".