Las Vegas school students won’t be able to watch their favorite TikTok videos or post Instagram pics on their cell phones during class time, thanks to a new policy.
In an email shared with PEOPLE Friday, the Clark County School District (CCSD) announced that starting in the 2024-2025 school year, students in grades 6 to 12 will have to use signal-blocking pouches to store their phones during classroom instruction.
The district said a pilot program began last month in about 10% of the district’s schools, while the remaining schools will implement the policy beginning August 12.
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“These new devices prevent and reduce distractions in the classroom, allowing for a productive learning environment and increasing student focus on instruction,” per the CCSD’s statement
The district also added that the non-locking pouches will be in classroom areas for students to access in case of emergencies.
The policy has generated both favorable and mixed reactions.
Rylee Myrold, a senior at Arbor View, told the same news outlet the policy raises safety concerns. “It’s hard to get out of the pouch,” she said. “The pouches are a pain. And if something were to happen everyone what- you expect everyone to run to the front of the class, scramble for your phone, you can’t tell which is yours.”
PEOPLE reached out to the CCSD on Friday for comment.
Renesha Parks, the chief wellness officer at Richmond Public Schools in Virginia, expressed support for the Yondr pouches in spite of the financial costs. In a December 2023 article published inThe Hill, she mentioned a policy slated for six schools earlier this year to prohibit cell phone usage.
“It’s a very costly initiative,” said Parks about the $75,000 price tag for the pouches covering 4,200 students. “But we do feel like it will decrease the amount of infractions that are happening as a result of student’s cell phone use and increase productivity and academic instruction in the classroom. It’s worth the investment.”
source: people.com
