On July 9, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 requiring cell phone-free education in all schools in the Commonwealth. In the executive order, the Virginia Department of Education is required to define what cell phone-free education means. Now, the guidance is available. This is what cell-phone free schools means for each age group:

The Virginia Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it has published its final cell phone-free education guidelines. Two months ago, the governor directed the department to develop them to limit students’ time using “addictive” cell phones in schools and eliminate “clear distractions” in the classroom.

The Virginia Department of Education is releasing its final guidance on creating cell phone-free education in the Commonwealth on Monday, and you have until Sunday to provide feedback.

The guidelines define cell-phone free education as “bell-to-bell” – meaning phones should be turned off and stored away the entire school day – including during lunch and between class periods.

At George Washington Carver/Bruce Street School, a K-8 school that also serves as a school for the deaf, school leaders have introduced a new policy banning cell phones on school property. The school also requires parents to sign a written agreement if they want their child to have a phone in school.

I have a 12-year-old who just started Junior High in the US (which covers grades 7 and 8), and her school has a phone-free campus policy. My other child is about to turn 9 and will be there soon. Both have expressed wanting a phone,

With the new school year comes renewed debate over the use of cell phones in the classroom.Among New York parents of school-age children, 77-percent support barring cell phone use in schools during the day,

Mike Morath made the recommendation as concerns rise that phones are harmful to students’ mental health and distract them from learning.