School revolution in the Harz: Smartphone ban for lower grades from January!

School revolution in the Harz: Smartphone ban for lower grades from January!

At the boarding high school in Bad Harzburg, Lower Saxony, a far-reaching smartphone ban will be introduced for the lower grades from January. School principal and deputy principal Christian Stutz explains that the measure is necessary to free students from the “addiction” and urge to constantly look at their devices. Studies show that excessive smartphone use has negative effects on concentration and brain function. “Without a cell phone in their hand, students can not only achieve better grades, but also improve their social skills,” says Stutz. The students in the lower grades have to hand in their smartphones in the morning and can only receive them again after the sixth period. The devices are kept safe during the school day, while high school students are only allowed to use them during breaks and in classrooms to avoid jealousy of higher quality devices, as well ndr.de reported.

A step into the future of school work

The high school in Bad Harzburg is not alone in this decision. More and more schools in Lower Saxony and other federal states are taking this approach in order to offer students a less distracting learning environment. Loud news38.de Although there is no uniform national regulation for the use of smartphones in everyday school life, some schools use similar concepts to promote student concentration and increase interaction with one another. While the use of school-owned tablets is still permitted, the high school's move represents a relevant measure in the context of the current discussions about digital media in education.

At a time when digital distraction is omnipresent, the Bad Harzburg boarding school is becoming a pioneer for other educational institutions. The interests are clear: Through this regulation, the school wants to usher in a new era of learning that places value on personal exchange and traditional learning methods.