Schools become 'prisons' due to banning cell phone use during class?

More and more countries from East to West are banning phones in schools.

Reason for controversy

In May, Florida passed a law requiring public schools across the state to ban students from using cell phones during class time and to block students from accessing social media through the district’s Wi-Fi. In September, Florida’s Orange County School District went even further, banning cell phone use throughout the day, even during recess. The decision was immediately controversial.

In recent interviews with The New York Times , dozens of Orange County parents and students expressed support for the ban on cell phones during school hours but opposed a full-day ban. Parents argued that their children should have the opportunity to contact them directly during their free time, while students described the ban as unfair and backward.

“They expect us to be responsible for our choices. But then they take away our ability to make choices and learn responsibly,” said Sophia Ferrara, a senior who needs to use her phone in her free time to attend online university classes. Other students said the ban on phones, which prevents them from looking up their class schedules or having to go to the office to ask permission to use their phones if they want to call their parents, makes school feel more like a “prison.”

Increasingly strict measures to keep young people away from their phones are a common move among many public schools across the country. Statistics from the US Department of Education in 2021 show that about 77% of schools ban non-academic phone use during class time. Some districts such as South Portland, Maine... also ban phone use throughout the day, similar to Orange County.

The debate between allowing or banning cell phone use during class is still "hot" to this day (illustrative photo)

According to lawmakers and school district leaders, the widespread use of social media on campus is threatening students’ academic performance, well-being, and physical safety. In some schools, students have planned and filmed assaults on fellow students to post on TikTok and Instagram. Meanwhile, messaging apps are considered a leading cause of distraction and loss of concentration, as students constantly “talk” to each other in virtual space during class.

Many countries share the same move

Earlier in October, the UK Department for Education issued new guidelines, recommending that schools across the country ban students from using phones throughout the day, including breaks. This is to reduce online bullying and increase concentration during lessons. If schools do not follow this guidance, the UK government will consider enacting it into law in the future, the statement said.

A year ago, the Italian Ministry of Education also issued a nationwide ban on phones in schools, with teachers instructed to collect students' phones at the beginning of class. On the other hand, using phones in the classroom was described as "a distraction" and "disrespectful to teachers". "We must protect the interest of students to come to class to learn," the statement said.

From 2021, China will ban primary and secondary school students from bringing phones to school. The reason given by the Chinese Ministry of Education is to "protect students' eyesight, help them concentrate on studying, prevent internet and game addiction", and also has the additional goal of "enhancing students' physical and psychological development", according to the South China Morning Post .

Notice allowing the use of phones to buy food is available at Wellington College (New Zealand) canteen. During the rest of the time in school, students are almost not allowed to use phones.

In 2018, France passed a law banning primary and secondary school children from using phones, tablets and smartwatches on school grounds. The ban also applies to boarding schools and on school trips. That same year, the Greek Ministry of Education banned phones in all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and teachers were only allowed to use them for teaching purposes.

In New Zealand, some schools have recently banned the use of phones during class, such as Wellington College. Speaking to Thanh Nien Newspaper, Mr. Patrick Smith, Vice Principal of the school, said the ban is to help students feel safe at school, have the opportunity to interact directly with classmates, and at the same time allow teachers to teach without distraction. "However, in lessons like technology, teachers can allow students to use phones to follow the lesson effectively," Mr. Smith said.

National studies have come to mixed conclusions about the effectiveness of bans. For example, a 2016 federal survey of US principals found that schools that banned cell phones had higher rates of cyberbullying than schools that allowed them, but did not explain why.

A study of Spanish schools published last year found that cyberbullying had dropped significantly in two areas that had banned phones in schools. In one of the areas, students’ math and science test scores also increased significantly.

Meanwhile, a recent study in Norway found that girls who were banned from using their phones in high school had higher GPAs. The study also found that the ban had “no effect” on boys’ GPAs, perhaps because girls spent more time on their phones.

Advice from UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released its Global Education Monitoring 2023 report in July, which asserted that excessive phone use will reduce learning performance and negatively impact children's emotional stability. Therefore, the agency called on countries to ban the use of phones in schools while maintaining the goal of "human-centered" education.

Students need to learn about the risks and opportunities that come with technology, develop critical thinking skills, and understand how to live with technology and how to adapt without it, according to UNESCO. "Protecting students from new and innovative technologies can put them at a disadvantage," the report added.

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