Curious to hear what different schools are doing when it comes to cell phone rules—for both students and teachers. I’ve heard a lot of places are tightening things up this year, so it’d be great if folks could share what their schools are currently doing. Also really interested in hearing from students—how do you feel about the rules, and are they actually enforced in practice?
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I’m a rising junior. in my expierence, the call phone policy varys largely by teacher. in my stem classes for example, if you’re doing great in the class (ie have an A) the teachers don’t care, however i attribute this to the fact that most stem courses are largely lecture based. for classes like english history or the arts, cell phone use has much less direct effect on your work, as there is less your “learning” in class. these classes are more discussion based, less about absorbing knowledge. being present is the biggest part of class, so a teacher may ask you to put it away, or just make a note to dock your grade. my own two cents is that if you are succeeding in a class, it doesn’t matter. kids in my math have already taken it, so they play league on their computers the whole time. that applies differently to english though, it’s hard to succeed in a discussion oriented class without discussion. not sure if that makes sense.
My 25’s school (80% day/20% boarding) has a very strict policy of no phones out at any time from 8 AM to 3 PM. The phone gets confiscated, they have to retrieve it from the administrative offices, and a disciplinary letter is sent home. For a cell phone infraction. My kiddo did get “caught” using his phone at the library this spring, but he says that kids do take them out with regularity during the day, especially during free periods at the library. He was of the opinion that the policy made sense for the younger grades, but that seniors should have looser rules.
My 27’s school (primarily boarding) does not allow phones while the kids are on the main paths of campus (e.g., walking to class, the dining hall, or the field house). No phones at weekly family-style meals either. Phones during class is currently teacher-dependent. Some have kids check them in at the door, some don’t. I think there will be come changes coming this fall though. I will say that the policies around phone use while walking around campus and in the dining hall are really good. There’s more engagement with each other, and my 27 finds it a meaningful policy that the student body really buys into and values. Even we as parents are more conscious of our cellphone use when visiting. In general, the thinking is that cellphones aren’t going to go away anytime soon, and it’s part of learning how to live with and use technology responsibly and how to be considerate of others as well.
My 29 did visit a school that had a very loose cellphone policy as compared to his sibling’s school, and he was not a fan. He visited a class in which a kid was actively shopping online on their phone during class, and he found that in general, kids walking around with their eyes on the screen and headphones on was a turnoff.
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Thanks for those perspectives–it would be great if you could also include the school names so people can understand differences in policies. A few people have also DM’d me with specifics about various schools’ policies. I’m summarizing their impressions below, but please let me know if I’ve gotten anything wrong.
Deerfield now bans phones from breakfast through dinner and again during evening study hall, essentially eliminating access during waking hours. SPS requires students to store phones from 8 a.m. to the end of the academic day—and 9th graders must turn in devices during study hours and overnight. Meanwhile, St. Andrew’s enforces a dorm-only phone rule, with no usage between 8:40 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. without faculty approval.
Other schools like Hotchkiss, Taft, and Groton seem to take a less restrictive approach where students are only prohibited from using devices when actually in class; it sounds like enforcement also varies quite a bit depending on the teacher.
Exeter and Andover sound like they offer the most freedom, though Andover is currently reassessing its policy.
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Groton restricts cell phone use outside of class as well (e.g., in Chapel, obviously, but also while in the Schoolhouse and walking around campus).
Students (especially younger folk) have their phones temporarily confiscated on a fairly regular basis and are required to read and summarize an assigned article (without AI) before their phones are returned.
There’s some student perspective on this at: The Phone Policy is Our Friend, Not Enemy - The Circle Voice
I assume you saw the new policy.
Thoughts?
Thanks, RandoParent. It sounds like there’s some push-back on the phone policy (probably at many schools–not just Groton) and that the new norms will take some time to become established.
Does anyone know of a school that’s had particular success with their phone policy?