This will help improve performance
UNESCO, the United Nations agency for education, science and culture, said there is evidence that excessive smartphone use leads to poor academic performance and that it negatively impacts children’s emotional stability. In this regard, UNESCO is calling for a global ban on smartphones in schools, believing that this will help improve learning and protect children from cyberbullying.
UNESCO states that the positive impact of digital technologies on learning outcomes can be overestimated, and new is not always better: “Not all change represents progress. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be done.”
UNESCO calls for a global ban on smartphones in schools and other educational institutions
“The digital revolution has immeasurable potential, but just as warnings have been raised about how it should be managed in society, the same attention needs to be paid to how it is being used in education,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. — The use of digital technologies should be aimed at improving the educational process and for the benefit of students and teachers, and not to the detriment of them. Keep student needs first and support teachers. Online sessions will not replace live communication.”
Based on an analysis of 200 education systems around the world, UNESCO estimates that one in four countries have banned the use of smartphones in schools. These include France, which introduced its policy in 2018, and the Netherlands, which will impose restrictions from 2024.
Announcing the ban this month, Dutch Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaff said: “Students should be able to concentrate and should be given the opportunity to study well. Smartphones are a nuisance, research shows. We have to protect students from this.”
