Austria lags behind

Fuss over cell phone ban: carpet of spots at schools

From the way to school to the classroom, people are busy typing. Experts call for a ban!

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

Many EU countries have long since banned smartphones from the classroom. Austria is still lagging behind. Education Minister Martin Polaschek relies on school autonomy, but the situation is not being mastered everywhere ...

Ring! Ring! Parents know this sound. Because their offspring are organized in various social media groups where messages are constantly being sent. The smartphone is a constant companion of Generation Alpha (born from 2010), who don't know life without the internet. According to a recent Google study, the average child in Austria gets their first cell phone at the age of 10. Almost half of them spend one to three hours a day online.

School-related information is exchanged just as quickly as meeting places in leisure time. But surfing the Internet harbors enormous dangers. Children and young people can easily become victims, whether through cyberbullying or the wrong role models online. Teachers are annoyed because they often play games during breaks or even in class. In Italy, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK, smartphones have long been banned in the classroom and more and more experts are calling for a strict ban in this country too.

Draconian punishments in Greek schools
Even in Latvia, which is very digitally advanced, younger pupils are not allowed to use cell phones. France made the first move back in 2018, banning the use of cell phones in class and during breaks. This rule applies to everyone up to the age of 15.

In many EU countries, cell phones must remain switched off in school bags.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com, FAZ, TRT, Euronews, Ostbelgien Direkt, )

Particularly draconian penalties await young Greeks. "Pupils can take their cell phones to school, but they must keep them in their school bags for the entire school day," intervened Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Numerous scientific data show that the use of cell phones during the school day has a devastating effect on the learning process.

Anyone caught typing will have to stay away from lessons for a day. In the event of a repeat offense, teachers may exclude pupils from lessons for several days. And anyone who films classmates or teachers without permission will be expelled.

Education minister relies on school autonomy
In Germany, Armin Schwarz (CDU), Minister of Education in Hesse, is making a move and calling for nationwide regulation. In our neighboring countries, the use of smartphones is (still) left to the schools, just as it is in Austria.

There are already many good ideas, and I am convinced that the best and most suitable solutions will be found locally.

Bildungsminister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP)

Bild: APA/EVA MANHART / APA / picturedesk.com

"We are focusing on personal responsibility here, that is school autonomy. Every school - including teachers, parents and pupils - looks at what is the best solution for them and how they want to regulate the use of cell phones," says Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP). Many educational institutions have already found great solutions with cell phone garages, cell phone hotels and more.

"In order to enable children and young people to use mobile phones responsibly, we have introduced the compulsory subject of basic digital education at lower secondary level. But media skills are also taught in a fun way at primary school level," Polaschek continues. These are important steps in preparing young people for the challenges of the digital world.

Smartphone coach and "clear rules"
The issue of cell phones has also reached the federal states. However, each education directorate has a different approach in this regard. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, and Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, Provincial Councillor for Education, recently invited school principals, "smartphone coach" Andrea Buhl-Aigner and staff representatives of compulsory school teachers to a round table discussion in the St. Pölten Landhaus to have a serious word about the use of cell phones in schools. The expert panel is now to be the starting signal for setting a focus on educational institutions in the coming months.

Buhl-Aigner showed how targeted communication can be used to reach agreements with children and young people at eye level and guide them safely through the digital world. The two principals Hemma Poledna from Klosterneuburg Grammar School and Sabine Puchinger from Bruck an der Leitha showed how to approach this topic and raise awareness among parents and pupils with the "Connect with Care" initiative.

The Lower Austrian political leaders with Buhl-Aigner (left) and the principals.

(Bild: NLK Pfeiffer)

For example, the BG Klosterneuburg was declared a mobile phone-free zone during the morning together with the pupils, with exceptions in the subject "Digital Basic Education", among others. Poledna is certain that children and young people need support when it comes to media use and emphasizes that the new regulation has led to a very positive change in the school climate at her school.