The British government is using a guideline to suggest how schools can ban smartphones from classrooms and playgrounds. But the plan has gaps.
The British government has pushed ahead with plans to ban smartphones in schools. To this end, the Ministry of Education in London published guidelines for schools on Monday on how the use of smartphones can be prevented.
However, this is not yet a blanket ban on cell phones, and schools largely have a free hand in implementing it. The recommended measures range from a general ban on bringing cell phones to school to regulations requiring students to hand in their cell phones, lock them up or keep them silent in their pockets. For high school students, a regulation that provides for limited use of the devices is also conceivable, the document said. According to the handout, teachers should also use their cell phones extremely sparingly in front of students.
Teachers’ union considers smartphone ban to be nonsensical
Trade unions criticized the government’s move. “As most schools already have policies in place to address issues surrounding smartphone use, this guide will be of little use and will only distract from the many problems in education,” said Daniel Kebede of the National Education Union, according to the Guardian.
According to the British media regulator Ofcom, 97 percent of twelve-year-olds in the country already have a smartphone. In addition to negative consequences for school lessons, the dangers of harmful online content and cyberbullying have recently been prominently discussed in the British media. The murder of 16-year-old trans teenager Brianna Ghey by two other young people who had consumed violent material online also contributed to this.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
