Indiana may soon be able to ban the use of cellphones inside schools with a new bipartisan bill pushing to reduce student's distractions while inside classrooms.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb ratified the proposed Senate Bill 185 last Monday that will effectively ban students from the use of "any portable wireless device" inside schools with a few exceptions.
(Photo : Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)
The new legislation will start implementation on July 1, but will be fully felt this coming Fall as students return to schools after the Summer break.
Under the new law, students will only be able to use their phones if they require an immediate need for healthcare, an emergency, or if it is included in the learner's Individualized Education Program.
Otherwise, the phones will be collected and stored in designated locker areas inside the classroom.
It is also worth noting that the law does not specify what necessitates an event of emergency to access the phone.
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School Cellphone Ban Not Popular Among Students
While lawmakers have been touting the legislation as a big step in helping students away from "attention-grabbing apps," students themselves have a different reaction towards the decision.
A whole crowd of students in Texas recently protested outside of their school after the administration implemented a similar ban on the devices.
Students condemned the policy to be "unconstitutional" and threatened to continue the walkouts if no amendment was made.
It is worth noting, however, that several schools in Indiana have already implemented the ban but no huge backlash so far has been reported.
Safety Concerns for Students Raised from Phone Ban
A primary concern from the detractors of the law is the safety implications of the law for students.
The increasing number of school shootings in the US continues to take the lives of students and teachers every year.
Oftentimes, students use their phones to contact authorities or their parents during these incidents.
Similar legislation in other states has previously been rejected over safety concerns. So far, only Florida has been successful in implementing a state-wide on phones inside schools.
Kentucky, Tennessee, and Kansas have been reported to be also considering the same legislations to improve students' mental health.
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