MIKE'S MESSAGE ON SCHOOL-CELLPHONE 'DANGER'

By DAVID SEIFMAN, CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF

Cellphones in schools can be as dangerous as texting while driving, Mayor Bloomberg argued yesterday.

Told on his weekly radio show that many principals aren't enforcing the city's ban on the devices on school grounds, the mayor said they should because cellphones are a distraction that can harm a student's chances for advancing in life.

"They just don't belong in the classroom any more than they belong, you know, than you should be texting when you're driving. That one's dangerous for your life," Bloomberg said.

"I suppose you could make the case that cellphones, you know, are hurting long term . . . In the end, how well the child does in school is going to be a big factor in how well they do in the real world for the rest of their lives. More important."

Those were to be Bloomberg's last words on the subject -- and on any other subject -- on his weekly WOR radio show for the next two months. To comply with FCC rules for political candidates, the mayor announced he would be staying off the unpaid airwaves until after November's mayoral election.