Every student in the state of South Carolina knows about the school policy recently put in place: No phones, no wireless headphones, and no smart watches, from the moment school starts to the moment it ends, including during lunch hours. Students no longer have the ability to contact their family in an easy format for a variety of issues, from needing a ride home to a family emergency, without exception. We are a group of students advocating for a policy change. We are not proposing for the ban to be lifted entirely; all we ask is for things to go back to the way they were. Students should be allowed to use their phone during lunch, at the very least, and during class changes and other moments of free time.

Many students also listen to music while working, because it helps them focus and calms their anxiety. Students should be allowed to have earbuds and headphones in during lunch, as well as during non-instructional independent work time; when a teacher finishes explaining directions, students should be able to insert a wireless earbud and focus. With the new policy, wired earbuds and headphones are allowed, but finding cheap pairs of good quality can be a great struggle, especially when 68% of headphone users use Bluetooth (wireless) earbuds or headphones. Rather than forcing students to use cheap, low-quality wired headphones, students could use the wireless pairs they worked to earn. Teachers could reserve the right to ask for proof that the headphones are connected to their iPad or other school device rather than their phones if they suspect an issue.

We ask for your support in our goal to make schools more accommodating to student needs once again, just as they were before the policy expanded this far. Please share with friends, family, and parents.

If you support us, please share the petition, and check out our instagram account, change.the.policy

Also please know, we will be posting some comments on to the instagram account