Kids Should Be Able to Use Phones at Primary School

This debate is about whether every child should have a mobile phone (Cell phone if you are in the United States). This does not mean that they always have to have it with them, or that they will be forced to always have their phone turned on. It also does not mean that children, or their parents, are forced to buy a mobile phone. The debate is simply about whether the good things about every child having a mobile phone outweigh the bad things that result from every child having a mobile phone.
Mobile phones were first invented in 1973 and have been available for anyone to buy since 1983. But it was not until the 1990s that most people began owning mobiles. Today there are six billion mobile phone subscriptions. Even in many parts of Africa a majority of people have one. In the United Kingdom more than 70% of children aged five to sixteen own a mobile phone. In the United States 83% of middle schoolers have a mobile phone and the age at which children first get a mobile is going down.
Although large numbers of children have mobiles until recently it has often been the case that schools banned the use of mobiles. But the benefits of mobile phones to schools are beginning to be accepted. This is in much the same way that computer have been accepted. The introduction of Smartphone’s, phones that are like small computers such as the iphone, means there are a lot more potential uses for the phone in the classroom. But if mobiles are to be used in schools then it becomes necessary for every child to have one.

Note for teachers: This is potentially a difficult debate for the opposition side as they are left wondering how to oppose something that is stated as an aspiration. There is no compulsion for the opposition to grab hold of and there are very few negatives to having a mobile phone. Having the debate phrased, as ‘Every child must have a mobile phone’ might make for a more even debate. You may also want to set an age for this debate as for the very youngest many...