The Dutch government has announced plans to ban devices, including mobile phones, from classrooms to prevent them from interfering with instruction.
The program is being launched in partnership with schools and will go into action at the beginning of the following year, as reported by BBC News.
There will be a few exceptions, such as those for children with special needs or disabilities and those enrolled in digital skills classes. Although the ban is not currently enforceable by law, it might be in the future.
Limiting kids' screen usage has been related to better cognition and focus, according to numerous research. Tablets and smartwatches are among the other electronic devices covered by the Dutch ban.
According to the government, it will be up to individual schools to decide on the specific guidelines with instructors, parents, and students, including if they want to fully prohibit gadgets from schools. The ministry, schools, and allied organizations came to an agreement that led to the creation of the program.
At the conclusion of the 2024-2025 academic year, it will be evaluated to see whether a legal ban is necessary and how effectively it performed. The announcement comes after Finland made a comparable choice last week. Its administration declared that it would alter the law to make it simpler to limit cell phone use in classrooms
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Mobile Phone Bans in Different Parts of The World
Mobile phone bans have also been advocated for other nations, such as England and France, in an effort to enhance education.
France banned the use of mobile phones in middle and high schools to reduce cheating and improve student safety.
In 2018, China banned the use of mobile phones in primary and secondary schools. The ban was implemented in an effort to reduce distractions in the classroom and to improve academic performance. Another country that banned the use of mobile phones is Israel to reduce distractions in the classroom and to improve academic performance.
In 2015, two Spanish regions (CLM and Galicia) banned the use of mobile phones in schools. The ban was implemented in an effort to reduce distractions in the classroom and to improve academic performance. Turkmenistan also implemented a ban in 2020 to improve the productivity of the educational process.
In the United States, there is no federal law that bans or restricts the use of mobile devices in schools. However, many individual schools have implemented their own policies on mobile device use.
The decision of whether or not to ban mobile devices in schools is a complex one that should be made on a case-by-case basis. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and the best policy for one school may not be the best policy for another.
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