End Distraction: Vienna Schools to Introduce Mobile Phone Ban

The handling of mobile phones in schools repeatedly sparks discussions. Currently, there are no uniform guidelines in Austria on how phones may be used during classes and breaks. Each school can set its own rules - and most already do.

In Vienna, primary and middle schools are now specifically encouraged to include a mobile phone ban for class time and breaks in their house rules. This was announced by NEOS Education City Councillor Christoph Wiederkehr on Wednesday.

Mobile Phone Ban in Viennese Schools: Decree to Facilitate Regulations

A corresponding decree will be published in the coming days, according to the office of the Deputy Mayor to the APA. While some schools already have functioning regulations, other locations are increasingly confronted with problems due to mobile phone use. Therefore, Wiederkehr has convened an expert council with teachers, school administrations, parents, students, and experts in media education and health psychology to develop clear rules for handling smartphones, smartwatches, and similar devices in everyday school life.

"The mobile phone is a real concentration killer in the classroom," emphasized Wiederkehr. In the expert council, there was broad agreement for mobile-free class time and breaks. However, the use of mobile phones for teaching purposes should remain allowed. Violations of the new rules could be punished with warnings, notifications to parents, or an entry in the class register. It is crucial to involve all parties - from students to teachers - in the implementation.

Schools Cannot Be Mandated to Implement Regulations

However, it is not actually possible to prescribe a specific regulation to the schools. The Ministry of Education emphasized in a letter available to APA that schools are already allowed to restrict mobile phone use spatially and temporally. The school partnership committees, consisting of teacher, student, and parent representatives, are independent and cannot be obliged to include specific guidelines in the school rules.

A recent survey by the Federal Publishing House for School Books (öbv) and the University of Linz shows that rules for mobile phone use already exist almost everywhere. 53 percent of the nearly 1,000 teachers surveyed stated that a mobile phone ban applies in their school's classes, while another 40 percent reported specific usage rules. Three-quarters of the respondents supported a general mobile phone ban in schools.

Criticism from ÖVP and Greens: "Distraction from More Important Issues"

Wiederkehr's initiative was criticized by the ÖVP on Wednesday. In a statement, the party described the issue as a "distraction maneuver" and emphasized that German language support in Vienna's schools must be a top priority. "After all, in Vienna, half of the school beginners do not have a good enough command of German to follow the lessons," said the ÖVP.

The Greens also generally supported mobile-free school classes but considered a new regulation unnecessary. "In view of the Vienna education crisis, Wiederkehr would be well advised to finally focus on solutions instead of engaging in election campaign PR," said the party.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.