The use of mobile phones is banned in Dutch schools in order not to interrupt the learning process of students, the Dutch government has announced.
“While mobile phones are intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom,” says education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.
In addition to mobile phones, other technological devices such as tablets and smartwatches are also included in the list of restrictions.
The initiative is being launched in collaboration with schools and should come into force early next year.
“Students should be able to concentrate and be given every opportunity to learn well at school. We know from research that mobile phones are a nuisance,” he added.
There will be some exceptions, namely for students with medical needs or disabilities and classes focused on digital subjects.
The government also said it is up to each school to coordinate the exact rules with teachers, parents and students.
This initiative is the result of an agreement between the Ministry, schools and some organizations and will be evaluated at the end of the 2024/2025 school year to see how it worked.
In Portugal, at least 800 people signed a petition in May to ban mobile phones during breaks. As part of an online petition titled “Experience the school holidays, without ‘smartphone’ screens!”, subscribers called for a ban on mobile phones in schools, and asked school institutions to make boxes or lockers available for students to store their leave mobile phones behind when they arrive at school facilities.
Last week, the Finnish government announced it would change the law to make it easier to restrict mobile phone use in schools.
Other countries, including England and France, have also proposed banning mobile phones to improve student learning.
Source: DN
