ALVIN, Texas — No phones allowed! That’s a new rule students at one Alvin ISD school will have to follow starting in the fall.
Alvin Junior High announced the change as a way to tackle cyber bullying.
Students like Neveah Wheeler will not be allowed to be on their phones during school hours.
“There’s going to be quite a few people in this school who aren’t going to like the cell phone policy, and then there’s going to be those people who don’t really care,” Neveah said.
In a letter to parents, the school said its decision is based on a rise in conflicts between students through social media and text messages. They stated students are using their phones to hurt each other, and it is causing emotional scarring that can leave long-term effects on students.
“We want to make sure that we are controlling that, the environment, here at school to where we use it in a positive way," said Renee Rives with Alvin ISD said.
Neveah said bullying is a problem.
“There’s been a lot of people who’ve been downing other students’ self-esteem, whether it’s verbal, but most people, they feel more safe whenever they’re behind the screen,” she said.
Rives said the decision may be unpopular with some students, but it will help them build social skills down the road.
“They may have some issues with that, but you know what? Once they start interacting with other students and talking to one another, they’ll see it’s a whole new world out there for them," Rives said.
Teachers will be able to use phone as part of their lesson plans if they want. Otherwise all electronics devices will have to be shut off and put away from 8:05 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.
“My advice would be get off the phone, go outside sometime or actually pay attention in school," Naveah said.
Students caught violating the policy will have their phones confiscated and will be returned to a parent after they pay a $15 fee.
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