Mobile Phone Ban in Schools: These Rules Apply from May 1

According to the regulation published on Tuesday, school partners (student, parent, and teacher representatives) can set various exceptions, and teachers can also allow the use of mobile phones for research or working on material.

The use of mobile phones could already be regulated or prohibited within the framework of school autonomy, and most schools have already done so. However, Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) explained the measure in advance by saying he wanted to support school administrations and teachers with a clear nationwide regulation. The mobile phone ban is intended to bring life back into classrooms during breaks, promote social skills, and ensure that children's concentration abilities increase again. Shortly before Wiederkehr took office, the department had emphasized that mobile phone use falls under school autonomy and that a directive from the ministry or the states was therefore not possible.

Mobile Phone Ban in Schools: Special Regulations Possible

According to the new regulation, in which only technical details were changed compared to the draft, the use of mobile phones is generally prohibited during the entire stay at school and at all types of school events. For multi-day activities like sports weeks, an "age-appropriate use of devices" should be enabled, allowing children and adolescents to communicate with their parents within a set time frame.

It is firmly planned that mobile phones can be used at the request of teachers, for example, in the subject of Digital Education, in workshops on internet safety, or for using a digital dictionary or fact-checking, etc., in class. Other examples of use would be the digital student ID or digital maps or bus and city maps during multi-day school events. According to explanations, school partners can additionally make "age- and subject-appropriate solutions that deviate from the principle," allowing mobile phone use at certain times or for certain groups where there are no problems with reasonable device use. Fixed exceptions apply to students who need the phone for medical reasons (e.g., blood sugar measurement app for diabetics). Whether laptops or tablets can be used for digital note-taking is decided by the respective teacher.

Teachers Can Confiscate Phones

Students are responsible for the security of their digital devices, as noted by the ministry. The locker is generally considered a safe storage place, while leaving it unattended in the school bag is not. In case of violations of the mobile phone rules, teachers can confiscate the devices from students until the end of the school day. In case of repeated violations or problematic content (bullying, Islamist or pornographic content), the phone can only be handed over to the guardians. If the phone is damaged or lost after confiscation, the damage will be compensated by the Republic.

If a school already has autonomous regulations regarding mobile phone use, they can generally continue to exist - except for passages that contradict the new regulation. In that case, the house rules must be adjusted.

The Greens support the restriction of mobile phone use in schools. However, the real challenges lie in social media, emphasized youth spokesperson Barbara Neßler. There, young people are confronted with "images full of hate, blood, and fear," and girls with unhealthy body images, leading them to start hating their bodies. According to the Greens, social media should therefore only be usable from the age of 16. There should be reliable age checks and clear rules for protecting children on the platforms. "We have age limits for alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, or movies - but not where children spend hours," she demanded. The government must protect the children, she urged.

(APA/Red)

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