The Dutch government has announced plans to ban devices, including mobile phones, from classrooms to prevent them from disrupting learning.
The initiative will go into effect at the start of the next school year and is being introduced in collaboration with schools.
There will be some exclusion, such as for students with special needs or disabilities and for classes emphasizing digital skills.
The ban is not currently enforceable by law, but it may be in the future.
“Even though mobile phones are almost intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom,” said Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.
“Students must be able to concentrate there and be given every opportunity to learn well. We know from scientific research that mobile phones disrupt this.”
Several studies have discovered that reducing children’s screen time is associated with enhanced cognition and focus.
Tablets and smartwatches are among the other electronic devices included in the Dutch ban.
The government stated that it would be up to individual schools to decide the exact rules with teachers, parents, and students, including whether they wanted to completely ban devices from schools.
The ministry, schools, and related organizations came to an agreement that gave rise to the scheme.
The effectiveness of it and whether a legal ban is required will be assessed at the end of the 2024–2025 academic year.
The announcement comes after Finland made a comparable decision the previous week.
Its government declared that it would alter the law to make it simpler to impose phone usage restrictions in educational settings.
A mobile phone ban has also been proposed in order to enhance education in England and France, among other countries.
Source-BBC
