Technology in schools disconnects kids from teachers, parent says
Key takeaways
- While 37 states have banned personal cellphones in schools, parents are now raising concerns about school-issued devices kids can bring home.
- Lev clarified that he and like-minded parents in the district aren t inherently anti-technology but believe schools shouldn t rely on it to teach core subjects like math, reading, and science.
- Lev believes policies like this wouldn t go far enough to address the problem.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
The Lower Merion School District board voted last week to scrap its existing policy following months of debate over its 1:1 device program, which provides students with Chromebooks or i Pads, News Nation local affiliate WPHL reported. While 37 states have banned personal cellphones in schools, parents are now raising concerns about school-issued devices kids can bring home.
Lower Merion parent and cardiologist Yair Lev told NewsNation Monday that he s troubled by his district s reliance on technology and believes screens have become a digital wall that disconnects kids completely from the teachers. Lev clarified that he and like-minded parents in the district aren t inherently anti-technology but believe schools shouldn t rely on it to teach core subjects like math, reading, and science.
Lower Merion officials said they are working on a replacement policy that would end the assignment of personal devices to students in kindergarten through second grade, start issuing devices to children in the fifth grade and make it mandatory for them to take home devices starting in seventh grade.