As phones are becoming more of a necessity, they have been seen as a threat to education, whether people are listening to music or scrolling through social media, most schools of taken it upon themselves to deal with these problems. Multiple independent counties in the US have banned the use of phones in schools, ranging from Kindergarten to High School students, and now the entire state of Texas has followed suit in fully banning phones from their schools. As school shootings and other violent acts have become increasingly common across our country, we have the right to be connected even in our schools, and should feel safe stepping into buildings meant to protect us; however, schools believe they have the right to take that away from us. 

Health problems also play into this, as some who has serious retinal problems, something could go wrong at any moment and I possibly could go blind if not given the right help in the right time, luckily people who require their phones to monitor blood levels or other conditions are allowed, the people who have problems that aren’t monitored are pushed to the side by school boards who refuse to care.

While some people may not agree, I believe it is up to the students to make the right decision, and while punishment may sometimes be deemed necessary that doesn’t mean it should apply to all of us. The use of phones should be limited to teacher permission, emergencies, and school rules. However, it seems schools are prioritizing education over the safety of their students. In the case of a real emergency, we would have to rely on the school to keep us safe. 

As students, our voices should matter, so please help us show that by signing this petition, so that we can have better rules and a safer school.

If you would like to get in touch you can reach me at jpbooksforu@gmail.com