RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin (R – Virginia) has called on school districts around the Commonwealth to adopt policies that would essentially ban students from having cell phones in classrooms. The Virginia Department of Education outlined the recommendations it planned to provide school systems around the state in a draft released this week.
While some students might be concerned about putting down their phones during the school day, most parents who spoke with CBS 6 after the draft’s release supported the idea of cell phone free schools.
“I don’t see any real reason why a child should need a cell phone in class,” Matt Lano, the father of a first grade Richmond Public Schools student, said. “We try to minimize the screens.”
As his daughter grows up, Lano said limited cell phone usage at school would be OK.
“The mental health statistics for especially young girls, is kind of dreadful,” he said. “It all kind of started when the smartphone became sort of everywhere.”
Mental health is one of reasons why Governor Youngkin pushed a “cell phone-free education” in Virginia’s public schools.