Most secondary schools in Eindhoven are waiting a while before implementing the national mobile phone ban that will take effect in a few months. This is according to a phone call by Studio040.
Just before the summer holidays schools received a letter from Education Minister Dijkgraaf saying that mobile phones in the classroom lead to poorer learning performance and less concentration. Therefore, from 1 January 2024, the urgent advice is to ban mobile phones and other devices such as tablets and smartwatches in the classroom. Some schools have therefore decided to introduce this rule right from the start of the new school year.
Not immediately
In Eindhoven, most schools are not going to introduce such a ban immediatly. The rectors of Augustinianum, Van Maerlantlyceum and Eckartcollege mainly want to talk to parents in the coming months and are not in favor of rigid policies. Moreover, there is already a phone bag in the classroom where students should put their mobiles in before the start of class if they wish.
Administrators at the Frits Philips Lyceum and the International School also say they do not see any point in a hard ban straight after the summer holidays. It is important that the measures that are introduced are easy to enforce.
Handy
They also point out that in some cases, mobile phones are desirable in the classroom, for instance when pupils need to look something up in groups, and laptops are not available. According to some school administrators, it can actually be seen as a school’s task to teach pupils how to use a smartphone properly.
Strict bans in other parts
In the centre region of the Netherlands (regio Midden), some schools have already switched to a strict ban. Due to the spreading of school holidays, the school year there already started last week. For instance, pupils at schools in Utrecht and Houten are already required to leave their phones in a locker before class starts. By comparison, France has had a ban on mobile phones in schools for several years; in Belgium, educational institutions are allowed to decide themselves for the time being.
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
