- Netherlands cell phone ban in classrooms
- Why are cell phones being banned in Dutch schools?
- Impact of cell phone ban on student concentration
- Exceptions to the cell phone ban in Dutch classrooms
- Opinions of teachers on Netherlands’ cell phone ban
“They are a nuisance, scientific studies show,” education minister said
Cell phones, tablets and smartwatches will be virtually banned in classrooms in the Netherlands from Jan. 1, 2024, the government announced Tuesday, in a bid to limit distractions during lessons.
The devices will only be allowed if they are specifically needed, for example during lessons on digital skills, for medical reasons or for people with disabilities.
“Although cell phones are part of our lives, they do not belong in classrooms,” said Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.
“Students have to be able to concentrate and must have the opportunity to study well. Cell phones are a nuisance, scientific studies show. We have to protect students against this,” he added.
The ban is the result of an agreement between the ministry, schools and related organizations.
Schools will be able to find their own way to organize the ban, Dijkgraaf said, but there will be new legal rules if this does not yield sufficient results by the northern summer of 2024.
A poll of members of the AOb teachers’ union showed that a majority were in favor of the ban.
While the figure only hovers around 55% among primary school teachers, it rises to 73% among secondary school teachers, according to the poll that surveyed 8,400 teachers.
“Our members say that cell phones have a detrimental effect on students’ ability to concentrate. And that, in turn, affects the effectiveness of teaching,” Jelmer Evers, head of secondary education at AOb, as reviewed by the DutchNews portal.
As for those who expressed their opposition to the veto, they said they would prefer that schools or they themselves keep the decision on the policies on the use of the device.
In that sense, a survey of school principals showed that the majority were against the veto and preferred to be the ones to decide the rules.
Last year, parliamentarians presented the ban proposal with the aim of improving students’ school results and encouraging social interaction.