Mobile phone ban at schools: This is how the new regulation works from May 1st!
Mobile phone ban at schools: This is how the new regulation works from May 1st!
From May 1, 2025, a nationwide ban will come into force for the use of mobile phones, smartwatches and similar devices in schools and at school events. This ban applies until the eighth level and aims to improve the ability to concentrate the students and to promote social skills. Education Minister Christoph Return (NEOS) supports this measure, which is considered necessary in order to make schools a place of concentration and security. Mobile phones are increasingly perceived as a distraction and source of conflict, as the press reports.
So far, schools have had the opportunity to regulate mobile phone use itself as part of their autonomy, which led to different regulations. Some schools were difficult to enforce these regulations. The new regulation is intended to support school management and teachers by determining clear guidelines that all schools in Austria must comply with. The school partners, i.e. student, parent and teacher representatives, have participated in the preparation of the regulation and can continue to define specific exceptions.exceptions and regulations
In accordance with the new provisions, schools can set exceptions, for example for teaching purposes or for students with special medical needs. For example, students are excluded from the ban for medical reasons if, for example, they use blood sugar measurement apps. In the event of several days, such as sports weeks, an “age -appropriate use” of the devices is intended, which includes exact time window for communication with parents. In addition, teachers can allow the use of cell phones in certain subjects or workshops, for example in the subject of basic digital education, as [vienna.at] (https://www.vienna.at/1-mai-bringen-handybot-mit-wachen- exceptions/9370043) reports.In the event of violations of the cell phone rules, the teachers are authorized to lose the devices until the end of the school day. Repeated violations or problematic content can lead to the cell phone only returned to the legal guardians. Damage to the cell phones removed are replaced by the republic.
digital education and responsibility
Accompanying this ban, strengthening digital education in schools is also required. The new regulation should not only focus on reducing the screen time, but also ensure that topics such as cyber grooming and radicalization are treated more intensively on the Internet. In this context, this context is referred to bpb.de that educational policy should be advised to promote critical thinking in dealing with digital media and to train teachers in media pedagogy.
Overall, the new regulation is considered a step in the right direction in order to make schools a better learning environment and to underline the importance of digital media literacy. Despite the upcoming changes, a continuous examination of the challenges and opportunities of the digital world remains necessary.
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| Ort | Vienna, Österreich |
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