Banning mobile phones in schools

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2023: Russia adopted a law prohibiting schoolchildren from using phones in lessons

On December 6, 2023, the State Duma adopted a law "on improving the interaction of participants in the educational process." The document, in particular, prohibits schoolchildren from using mobile phones and other gadgets with SIM cards in lessons.

The authors of the amendments are State Duma deputies led by Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and the leaders of all Duma factions. The changes are said to be aimed "at raising the profile of the teaching profession." The bill, in particular, strengthens the dominant role of the teacher in the process of training and education in the educational organization.

Schoolchildren will be banned from using mobile phones and other gadgets with SIM cards in class

In order to create favorable conditions for teachers to conduct training sessions in the implementation of basic general education programs, it is established that during their conduct, the use of communication means for students is not allowed, the explanatory note says.

At the same time, exceptions are provided. These are classes in which schoolchildren need to use electronic resources, as well as situations related to the occurrence of danger to the life or health of students or school workers. The ban does not include interactive boards and personal computers used for educational purposes. The adoption of these measures, according to the authors of the initiative, will minimize the factors of distraction of students during lessons. In addition, the new rules should promote "live" communication in classrooms.

Parents and teachers have long been asking for a ban on mobile phones during school lessons. The amendments will increase discipline, children will not be distracted by smartphones. This is important, given that many children today suffer from real dependence on mobile phones and experience difficulties with social communication, says Volodin.[1]

2022

Ministry of Education: From September 1, students are prohibited from using phones in lessons

On August 31, 2022, the head of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Sergei Kravtsov, speaking at an all-Russian parent meeting, announced a ban on the use of mobile phones during lessons in schools. Students will hand over devices to teachers before starting class.

We have mobile phones from this school year in classes, I emphasize, it is not allowed to use. In lessons. So that mobile phones do not distract schoolchildren from classes, "Kravtsov explained.

From September 1, students are prohibited from using phones in lessons

The minister stressed that the ban applies only to hours of classes. The rest of the time, schoolchildren can use gadgets to call their parents, Kravtsov added.

The agency did not specify whether this ban would apply to teachers during lessons. In case of an emergency, if you need to call your parents, students should contact the teacher.

I have repeatedly talked about my daughter. Here she is now in the 7th grade, her son is in the 1st grade. She did not have mobile phones until she was 14. And from this she did not learn worse. At the age of 14, a push-button mobile phone appeared. But neither smartphones nor social networks, which often distract and negatively form a child, do not, "Kravtsov explained.

Earlier in August 2022, Assistant to the President of Russia, ex-Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky at the Moscow Pedagogical Council admitted that as an experiment, you can try to prohibit schoolchildren from using smartphones during classes. He noted that because of smartphones, children are distracted from their studies. Medinsky clarified that the experiment can be carried out within the region - for example, Moscow.

The deputy head of Rospotrebnadzor Irina Bragina said that there is no ban on bringing mobile communications to school, but smartphones should not be used as a means of education.^[2]

The Ministry of Education ordered schools to take phones from students before classes

On April 19, 2022, it became known about the recommendation of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation in terms of organizing the educational process related to the use of mobile phones in schools. According to the head of the department, Sergei Kravtsov, it is necessary that students hand over their gadgets before entering school or class, so as not to be distracted by lessons.

According to Kravtsov, recommendations in May 2022 will be sent to all regions, and from September 1, 2022, schools will independently decide how to use them. The Minister of Education of the Russian Federation noted that the recommendations "guarantee the provision of high-quality education."^[3]

The Ministry of Education ordered schools to take phones from students before classes

The minister stressed that in the case of telephones, the practice of collecting gadgets from students should be applied only if "teachers ask for this within the framework of the educational process."

By April 2022, phones can no longer be carried to state exams - OGE and USE.

Earlier, the head of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, proposed banning students from carrying phones to school, as they distract children from their studies. In response to her proposal, the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova said that the department would prepare documents to ban the use of mobile phones in schools. As promised by the head of Rospotrebnadzor, the documents have been prepared.

In the guidelines, the Ministry of Education refers to international experience, foreign and Russian research: "An analysis of international experience has shown that the early age of use of mobile devices and the long accumulated time of their use are factors leading to mental disorders, which is manifested in a child by hyperactivity, increased irritability, decreased long-term memory and mental performance, impaired communication abilities, sleep disorder," the guidelines say. "Excessive emotional and mental stimulation from the use of electronic media causes children to have a state of psychological and physiological hyperexcitation at bedtime."

2021: Russian schools banned the use of smartphones for education

In early January 2021, it became known about the ban on the use of mobile phones in Russian schools for education. The fact is that the new sanitary and epidemiological rules of SP 2.4 came into force. 3648-20, which will be valid until January 1, 2027. Clause 3.5.3. the new document reads: "For educational purposes, mobile communications are not used."

Mobile means of communication most often have a small screen size, this entails tension of the organs of vision and posture, so mobile phones cannot be used during the lesson instead of a computer or tablet, the  press service of Rospotrebnadzor explained to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

In early January 2021, it became known about the ban on the use of mobile phones in Russian schools for education

But for educational purposes, you can use computers and tablets. The minimum diagonal of a computer or laptop monitor  is at least 39.6 cm, and the tablet is -26.6 cm   . Cathode ray tube monitors are not allowed.

It is also noted that children of 1-2 classes should spend  no more than 20 minutes at a computer, 3-4 classes - no more than 25 minutes, 5-9 classes - no more than 30 minutes, and, finally, 10-11 classes - no more than 35 minutes.

It is assumed that if children watch educational films and inspect them  in notebooks, then the duration of continuous screen use should not exceed:

• for children 5-7 years old - 5-7 minutes,
• for students in grades 1-4 - 10 minutes,
• for grades 5-9 - 15 minutes.

In addition, as indicated in the new rules, the placement of mobile cellular base stations is not allowed on the territory of educational organizations.

In general, the new sanitary rules are one of the key documents for the entire school education system. It affects not only e-learning, the newspaper notes.^[4]

2019

Madrid schools banned from using smartphones

At the end of December 2019, Madrid joined Galicia and Castile La Mancha and banned the use of smartphones in schools and colleges. The law will come into force from the next academic year (2020-21).

Until now, in Madrid, as in almost all autonomous regions, the law gave schools the right to set their own rules, but now mobile phones, smartphones and tablets are completely banned in all classrooms in the region. Madrid students will no longer be able to use smartphones, except when the teacher believes that the phone is necessary for the educational process.

Madrid joins Galicia and Castile La Mancha and bans smartphones in schools and colleges

Pupils can carry a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch to school, but the devices must be turned off or moved in flight mode and stored in a backpack or lockers. The playground is also considered a school, but in this case the headteachers decide for themselves whether children can use their "smart" devices. In case of non-compliance with these rules, the law urges the school management to punish the student.

The Department for Education has long discussed the issue with experts and the school community and acknowledged the existing divisions. A survey conducted by GESOP found that a majority of adults supported the ban (86%). This is mainly due to a lack of student attention, high distraction, as well as problems such as cyberbullying. However, many experts believe that access to a smartphone can be an excellent tool in the hands of the trainer if you set the limits of its use.

In 2015, the Catalan School Board (CEC) submitted a report on phone use in schools. In 2019, this document would be revised and expanded. It pays considerable attention to issues such as juvenile data protection, cyberbullying or cyber addiction, as well as teacher training and the role of the family.^[5]

Every fourth school in Russia banned phones in lessons

By mid-December 2019, every fourth Russian school banned the use of mobile phones in classes. This was stated by the Minister of Education Olga Vasilyeva at the Business Breakfast in Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Today we already have specific numbers: 10,628 schools - that is, about one in four - have implemented recommendations and limited phones during lessons, she said.

Every fourth Russian school banned the use of mobile phones in class

According to Olga Vasilyeva, a ban on the use of phones in classes was introduced in all schools in North Ossetia, Ingushetia and the Belgorod region. More than half of schools have introduced similar measures in Magadan (53.3% of the total number of institutions), Kemerovo (67.3%), Kurganskaya (50.9%), Sverdlovsk (65.3%) regions, as well as in the Perm Territory (58.8%), the Republic of Mari El (63.8%) and the Udmurt Republic (60.9%). The minister called this data "absolutely verified."

It is worth noting that smartphones were not banned from being carried to school, but banned from using them in lessons, "Irina Volynets, chairman of the Russian National Parents' Committee, explained in an interview with the publication. - And, it seems to me that this figure is actually higher than one in four schools

Vasilyeva notes that Rospotrebnadzor, Rosobrnadzor and the Ministry of Education only recommended that schools take such measures, but educational institutions could make decisions themselves - whether to introduce a new rule or not. Moscow authorities opposed the proposed restrictions. Olga Vasilyeva herself believes that "for the period of the educational process," a mobile phone "is absolutely not needed."

Moreover, three-quarters of those surveyed (and I am absolutely in solidarity with them) believe that educators should also limit the use of phones during the learning process, she added.[6]

2017: Ban in France

In December 2017, it became known about the ban on the use of mobile phones in French schools. We are talking about tightening the law adopted by several years, according to which students are not allowed to use cellular devices during classes. Before entering the classroom, they had to turn them off.

However, according to Philippe Tournier, chairman of the trade union of heads of educational institutions in France, from 30 to 40% of schoolchildren constantly use "mobile phones" during lessons: they furtively read and send SMS messages, take pictures of each other and use gadgets to search the Internet for answers to educational tasks.

France imposes ban on mobile phones in schools

In December 2017, French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blank said that since September 2018, an absolute ban on mobile phones has been introduced in the country's schools. Students will not be able to use the tube either at recess, or even more so during classes.

Nowadays, children no longer play during changes between lessons, they just spend time looking at smartphone screens. From the point of view of education, this is a big problem, "Blanke said.

It is not yet clear how this ban will work in practice: it is not clear whether teachers will be empowered to search students and what sanctions may apply to violators.

The French education minister acknowledged that mobile devices may be needed for training purposes or in case of emergencies, so "we must provide all options."

The idea of ​ ​ banning cell phones in schools has become one of the election promises of French President Emmanuel Macron. However, not everyone reacted positively to this initiative. Many parents, for example, want to be constantly in touch with their children.^[7]

Notes