Starting with the new 2024-2025 school year, Pelham Memorial High School has essentially banned phones from all classrooms in the school building. This came from a new Board of Education policy that decided cell phones should be kept in calculator storage pouches during class periods, no matter if it is a study hall or an instructional course. This new policy has not only limited freedom in school, but has affected Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors in particular, who have had to adjust to the new policy after a vastly different policy in their previous years of high school.

The restriction of phone usage in study halls has brought significant discontent among the student body. While restricting cell phone usage in study halls can prompt concentration on studying and homework, it should be the student’s responsibility to make good choices. If a student had used their study hall period to use their phone instead of getting work done, and thus a grade for a class or assignment was affected, it could teach the student responsibility and ensure that they don’t make the same mistake again. 

Restrictions on cell phones, which take up a large portion of high schooler’s lives, are extremely difficult to enforce. Taking away an item that is incredibly valuable to students can influence them to become more sneaky, and find other ways to avoid doing work or distracting themselves during a study hall. The ban of cell phone use being extended to study halls is not only illogical, but it can create bad habits for students and further prevent focus or motivation. Many students in the past used cell phones to access music, which can be a useful motivation when doing difficult work or studying in school. With the banning of cell phones, students have to find other methods of staying focused when dealing with a difficult subject or assignment. A lack of outside assistance or motivation from resources such as music or videos can decrease the desire that students may have to complete their work and possibly affect their grades more than if they used their study halls as a free period. In addition, it can inspire students to use their cell phones in other places to avoid getting caught, such as in bathrooms, where they are extremely restricted by the Code of Conduct.

It is valuable that students learn qualities through mistakes, as it decreases their chances of making the same mistake again, and allows them to adapt better learning and universal habits throughout their lives. Giving students the choice of going on their cell phones or completing mandatory assignments in periods such as study halls can teach students the importance of making good decisions, while also not punishing them if they have no other work to complete or a way to entertain themselves. The cell phone policy, while in other areas can be deemed as logical and suitable for a formal school setting, should not be extended to periods where students can learn in other ways, and they should be allowed to practice their freedom if they have it.