Clarke County schools implement 'No Phone Zones'. What it means for students

The Clarke County School District is implementing 'No Phone Zones' for the 2024-25 school year that begins on Thursday.

The policy is put in place to 'improve student engagement, decrease distractions, and overall, improve the educational experience in our classrooms,' a CCSD Facebook post said.

Signs will adorn classrooms and hallways at Clarke County middle and high schools that read "Class is in session. Put phones away." Other signs will read "No Phone Zones in CCSD schools."

Clarke County middle school student s are asked to leave their phones in their lockers while high school students are asked to leave them in backpacks or classroom pouches provided by the school system.

Cellphone usage has interfered with students' ability to study in recent years. A UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) study recommended a ban on cellphone use in classrooms, as usage has had an impact on test scores and the ability to comprehend information.

Sixty-six percent of schools in the United States prohibited non-academic use of cellphones during school hours, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, EducationWeek.org says . By 2020, that percentage had jumped to 77 percent, it says.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Clarke County schools implement 'No Phone Zones'. What it means for students