Rich Nye, Senior Adviser for Education Policy to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, testifies to a hearing of the US House under Committee for early childhood, primary school and secondary school on June 10, 2025 (Screenshot from the Committee Webcast)
Washington – concerns about the use of mobile phones in classrooms were the focus on Tuesday in a hearing in a US house training panel, since more and more states banned or restrict the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices during the lesson.
Although the legislator of both parties recognized the damage that can cause excessive use of mobile phones for pupils, regardless of whether they influence their well-being, their interpersonal abilities or attention in class, the Democrats also criticized the rejection of the Trump government at the beginning of this year of around $ 1 billion in school psychological health because Disassembling dismantling of the US education department in the US education department.
The journey on the state level to contain the cell phone use in the classroom was non -partisan.
In 2025 so far the governors of states like how AlabamaPresent ArkansaPresent GeorgiaPresent IowaPresent North DakotaPresent NebraskaPresent OklaholaPresent Utah And West Virginia has already signed laws that have brought prohibitions into harmony.
“Screens are now omnipresent, mainly in the form of the students’ mobile phones who draw attention to the interactive discussion and lessons,” said Rep. Kevin Kiley, chairman of the US House subcommittee in the hearing of the panel. The subcommittee is part of the committee for education and workforce.
“Too often, the students spend most of their days down, scrolling thumbs and only a break that interacts with increasingly discouraged teachers,” said the California Republican.
New Utah law
A witness, Rich Nye, senior advisor for educational policy to Utah governor Spencer Cox, advertised The Bill Cox signed At the beginning of this year, “prohibits a cell phone, a smartwatch or an emerging technology during the lesson.
The nationwide prohibition that enables certain exceptions will come into force on July 1st.
Before the law, the law becomes Cox had sent letters to district and charter school director, headmaster, members of the school community and the state education committee in 2024 Request educators Remove mobile during the lesson and to determine that “cell phone-free learning environments learn to our teachers and our students.”
Utah Gop Rep. Burgess Owens applauded the efforts of his state.
“Technology can often be a power multiplier in the workforce. However, we have to better understand the effects if we expose our children to digital devices and what could have the long -term effects,” he said.
That blends massive cuts into mental health grants
In the meantime, the Democrats aimed at the government’s decision this year to stop financing approx. 1 billion US dollars In grants for mental health services from students through the non -partisan law on safer communities in 2022.
MP Suzanne Bonamici, a ranked member of the subcommittee, said: “These programs ended without prior notice of states and without recourse to help students who rely on them.”
“The grants provided funds for specialists for mental health, support services, for suicide prevention resources, for schools in districts that they urgently need,” said Oregon’s Democrat.
Cheryl Holcomb McCoy, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, emphasized the need to restore the grants.
Holcomb-Mccoy said that the grants’ termination and headmaster and headmaster and superintendent left without the critical support they need for students in crises, especially those affected by excessive screen time “.
“I also find that many of my colleagues on the other side of the Ganges and the administration officials often say that the federal government should not make decisions for local schools,” said Bonamici. “As with curriculum decisions, technology guidelines should be managed by state and local civil servants.”
Pennsylvania democratic rep. Summer Lee said that the cancellation of the subsidies is surprised how “the Republicans will ask us to have a real conversation about harmful effects of the screen time in schools if they enable the administration to reduce the Ministry of Education and the support structures that we have for schools, program, nickel and dime.”
Trump and his administration tried to dramatically restrict the federal role in education, including an arrangement of the executive Minister of Education Linda McMahon Facilitating the closure of your own department, the equipment more than 1,300 employees at the agency, threats Revoke funds for schools This uses diversity, equity and inclusion practices and a procedure for “Woke” university formation.
But Federal judge have temporarily blocked Many of these efforts.
