MONROE, CT — With the new cell phone policy going into effect for the 2024-2025 school year, Masuk High School students are hit with a shockwave of having to lock away their phones during class — a measure that has provoked mixed reactions among the student body.
“Last year teachers and administrators didn’t even try to regulate the phones,” said Olivia Cottrell, who is a senior. “Now it seems like they are jumping to the extreme.”
Last school year, Masuk introduced a phone policy with a three strike system, resulting in stricter penalties each time a student was caught using their phone in class. But most students believed it was never enforced by their teachers.
By contrast, many students are unhappy with the newest phone policy, which they see as a full 360 from last year’s expectations.
“I think it should depend on the class,” said student Lucas Antunes. “I am never on my phone in class, but I still have to put it away in the box.”
However, as Principal Steven Swenson expressed, this phone policy is designed not only to increase learning, but to encourage peer-to-peer interactions. Which is why some students are happy with the new policy.
“It is definitely something to get used to, but I think it is something that could really benefit all of us,” said senior Isabela Lucca.
Teachers have already observed an increase in student interaction and engagement in just the first few days of school. No matter their personal opinion on the policy, students have begun to learn to accept it. As the school year kicks off, phone-free classrooms have become the new normal for the Masuk student body.
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