Some students in New Britain will have to put their phones away when they return to class. It’s part of a new policy going into effect at two middle schools.
Phone-free classrooms are coming to two New Britain schools: Slade and Pualski middle schools. Starting Tuesday, students will have put their cell phones in Yondr pouches during the school day.
“I think it's really a good, positive step in the right direction to be able to deliver more effective instruction to students,” said Susan Saluru, president of the New Britain Federation of Teachers.
She says this move is overdue for educators in the district and having a phone-free environment in the classroom will provide benefits beyond just students paying closer attention.
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“It could really have a great positive effect on fights, on bullying, on overall general distraction,” Saluru said.
A recent survey done by the Connecticut Education Association found a majority of teachers feel student cell phone use was either somewhat or very disruptive. Saluru says the devices have become almost addicting for students.
“They are so seduced by social media, videos, I mean, you name it, texting, FaceTiming, we've seen it all,” she said.
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Parents we talked to also believe this change is a step in the right direction.
“My other grandchildren are telling me “Noooo.” I think it’ll be a really good thing. I think they should have it in all the schools,” Roberta Mazurek, of New Britain, said.
“Kids don’t know how to talk to each other nowadays. I feel like before we had to figure it out on the playground or in the classroom,” Leslie Perreira, of New Britain, said.
Other parents have raised concerns about reaching their children during emergencies, but Saluru says the district does a good job communicating.
“Even if it's nothing, senior leadership will message out to parents and to teachers, so we all know what's happening,” she said.
New Britain is now joining a list of other school districts requiring these pouches including Torrington, Manchester, and Waterbury to name a few and we may see more districts move in this direction after the state Board of Education approved new guidelines last summer when it comes to cell phone use in school.
