Photo: Digital Vision
Governor Greg Abbott has officially signed legislation passed during the regular session of the Texas State Legislature that will ban students from using "personal wireless communication devices" during classes.
HB-1481 requires all public schools, as well as open-enrollment charter schools, to create policies to store student cell phones, smartwatches, radios, and even pagers during the day or ban them completely from school campuses.
It comes as a result of teachers, parents, and even school administrators raising concerns about distractions in the classroom, overuse of social media, and cyberbullying.
Abbott spoke at the signing of the bill and said, "Educators and researchers have raised concerns about the impact that smartphones have on student learning and student engagement." He thinks this will be a step toward improving Texas' education results.
Abbott also praised the bill for providing "flexibility to establish policies that meet the unique needs of their particular districts."