New Bedford Public Schools Squash Cell Phones

It's been a long time coming; the debate about whether or not students should be allowed access to their phones during school hours has gone on for more than a decade. School districts have struggled with enforcement on policies for phone use. Periods of strict enforcement are often followed by a year or two of an administration looking the other way when it comes to phone use, with the pendulum swinging back and forth.

Why Banning Phones in Schools Is So Difficult

The problem is that restricting phone use is so difficult. The 2025 world we live in has students of virtually all ages bringing devices to school of some kind, making it very difficult to crack down on them. Banning the use of devices would mean getting tough on nearly every student in the school from top to bottom. Detention halls would be jam-packed every day.

New Bedford Public Schools Introduces Phone Locking Pouches

New Bedford's solution is to follow the lead that some entertainers have been utilizing for years. Comedian Kevin Hart was the first act I ever saw use the lock pouches for cell phones. Guests were required to stuff their phones in the pouches to make it impossible for them to record the performance and share it on social media, effectively ruining the comedy show for future crowds.

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How New Bedford Schools Will Use the Phone Pouches

Coming this fall, the same pouches are going to be deployed at New Bedford's three middle schools – Keith, Roosevelt and Normandin – and New Bedford High School.  A letter sent home to parents cites the reasons for the move are to "improve teaching and learning."