Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on Wednesday said next year lawmakers should ban the use of cellphones in public schools across the state.
“If it were in my power, I would have already banned them in all schools in the state,” Morath said. “So I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy going forward for our students and our teachers.”
Morath’s comments fall directly in line with a debate taking place in school systems across the country, a contentious subject that doesn’t divide neatly along party lines. The commissioner brought up the topic of cellphones while testifying about student outcomes on national and state exams. On the most recent state exam, onlyPeople supporting universal cellphone bans note that the devices distract students from learning and are harmful to children’s mental health.
Others worry that banning cellphones prevents young people from exercising personal responsibility and communicating with their parents during emergencies — a growing concern as mass shootings have become more common throughout the United States. During the, where a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers, children trapped inside the school used phones to call police for help.
Still, some committee lawmakers on Wednesday responded to Morath’s testimony with an openness to the idea., D-San Antonio. “I like what you said about if we could get rid of the cellphones, you know. I mean, it would help all of us if we could do that. But we can’t. I mean … how would it look?”cellphones in schools, some outright and others only allowing limited use during times like lunch or traveling in between classes.
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