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Why are countries banning smartphones in classrooms?

By on December 5, 2023

In this day and age, smartphones are perceived to enhance learning and social experiences. But a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reveals the opposite.

The international organization issued a warning citing evidence of a ‘negative link’ between excessive use of smartphones in students and academic performance as well as children’s emotional stability.

UNESCO recommended a global ban on the use of smartphones in classrooms after large-scale data showed that students in 14 countries are being distracted from learning when they are near a mobile device.

Nearly one in four countries have banned the use of smartphones in schools. Many U.S. states are increasingly banning the use of smartphones in classrooms. France introduced the no-cellphone rule in classrooms in 2018, followed by Italy where teachers collect students’ smartphones before classes begin in the morning.

Since 2021,  students at UK’s secondary schools’ are generally prohibited from using smartphones in classrooms except in some cases where individual headteachers’ permit is required. Similar bans will be introduced in Finland and the Netherlands in 2024.  New Zealand is the latest country to announce a similar ban as it tackles the country’s plummeting literacy rates.

In Japan, junior high and high school students will be prohibited from bringing mobile phones to classrooms starting January 2024. The ban for Japan’s elementary and special schools takes effect in April 2024, the start of the academic year.

 

 

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