Phones in school - For whom the cell rings

The cell phone debate rages at school, too.

While the gadgets have been banned in classrooms in many places, the tide has been turning toward more leniency, according to the American Association of School Administrators, which attributed the change to events of Sept. 11, 2001, and to students using cell phones to alert authorities during the Columbine High School shootings in 1999.

The bans on cell phones and pagers originally were instituted to combat their use in drug dealing and other crimes on campus during the 1980s. And of course, they can be distracting in class.

"There are disruption issues," said Richard Blackbourn, professor of education at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.

"There would have to be some restrictions on using them in the building."

But safety argues for having them at hand if needed, he said. "The presence of a cell phone in the case of an injury can speed up response." He also cited a phone's use for getting a ride home after a school activity as another advantage.

But at the same time, cell phones make it easier for drug dealers and other criminals to carry on.

Blackbourn said the decision about campus use has to be made by school authorities with responsibility for student safety and learning environment. "I would support anything that helps school administrators conduct school."