Nationwide mobile phone ban in schools: a step towards more concentration!

Nationwide mobile phone ban in schools: a step towards more concentration!

From May 1, 2024, a nationwide mobile phone ban will be introduced in Austria for the first eight school levels. This regulation concerns ethnic, middle and special schools as well as AHS substances, which are now explained as cell phone-free zones. Education Minister Christoph Return (NEOS) sees a significant distraction for the students in mobile phones and similar devices. He emphasizes that smartphones can affect the concentration of the children and promote conflicts, which disturbs the learning atmosphere in the classroom. In addition, a current investigation shows that cell phones can also have advantages if you take certain negative aspects into account, but the concerns about distractions predominate.

Return announced the new regulation in a press conference and explained that mobile phones, smartwatches and similar devices must not be used during the lessons and breaks. In order to enforce the ban, a corresponding regulation will be issued in the course of this month. This is intended to provide the school heads a legal basis to implement the regulation at their schools. So far there has been no uniform regulation in Austria, since the Ministry of Education saw legal hurdles for such a ban. Instead, the schools were responsible for the design of the house rules.

reactions and backgrounds

Return, which the mobile phones referred to as a “concentration killer” in the classroom, is released on studies that show that the loss of learning is even greater than during the class by using cell phones than during the Corona pandemic. One reason for this drastic measure is the desire to minimize the digital distraction while digital learning is to be promoted at the same time. Children and adolescents should learn in schools how they deal responsibly with digital devices.

In several federal states, including Carinthia, there are already regional requirements for mobile phone bans. Carinthia has been a pioneer with a ban at elementary schools since February, and in Styria the ban applies up to and including the sixth school level. In Vienna, return had recently announced a similar ban on elementary and middle schools.

well -being of the students

The discussion about the mobile phone ban is accompanied by the note that smartphones can also have positive effects on the spiritual and social well -being of children if certain negative aspects are avoided. The first data of a US survey indicate that balanced use of smartphones can even be beneficial. Nevertheless, return demands a clear separation between digital distractions and learning to guarantee the students the best possible education.

With the introduction of the mobile phone ban in Austria, a step is taken in the direction of a concentrated and trouble -free learning environment. The success of this measure will decisively arrive on how schools and teachers shape the implementation and whether the students learn to accept the new rules.