The move to ban mobile phones in primary and secondary schools is not satisfactory to students, teachers and parents. The government will ban students from using mobile phones in primary and secondary schools. Children have the right to bring mobile phones to school, but they are not allowed to use them during breaks or before leaving school. The proposed ban was part of Emmanuel Macron's plan during his successful presidential campaign. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanguet announced that the measure will take effect from the beginning of the next school year in September 2018 and will apply to all high school students aged 6 to 15.
Blanguet said that some schools use mobile phone jammers to ban students from using mobile phones. "Mobile phones may be needed to respond to emergencies, but their use must be controlled in some way," he said on RTL radio. The minister clarified that the ban was also "published in family health information", adding: "It is best to prevent children from frequent or regular contact with screens before the age of seven."
The French Association of Head Teachers expressed doubts that the ban can be successfully implemented. "I'm skeptical about this new ministerial statement because it's hard to understand the practical issues," said Philippe Vincent, deputy secretary-general. "In general, we're used to logic and pragmatism, and there's nothing logical or pragmatic about these statements." Students interviewed outside a secondary school in central Paris seemed unimpressed by the measure. "I don't know how it works. Who answers the phone, where do you put it... How do you answer the phone?" asked a 12-year-old boy at another school. "In my school, we don't use mobile phones in class or during breaks, so if someone is caught on the phone in the bathroom or during lunch break, we immediately detain the student," said Mathilde.
Parents don't seem any more excited. "It might be a good idea when the kids are at school, but you can't stop them from having their phones with them," said Sabine, who hopes her children can take their phones to school instead of exposing them to traffic lights. Is it better for schools to install mobile phone jammers than not allowing students to carry mobile phones?
Although using cell phone jammers to ban students from using mobile phones in school may seem like an effective solution, it may actually bring many problems. First, the use of mobile phone jammers must be strictly controlled to avoid interfering with normal communications in the surrounding area. Secondly, when students need to use their mobile phones in an emergency, how to quickly and effectively turn off the jammer is also a question that needs to be considered. In addition, the cost of installing and maintaining jammers is also a realistic problem that schools need to face.
However, completely banning students from using mobile phones in school also faces many challenges. The objections from students and parents show that mobile phones are indispensable tools in some cases, especially in emergencies. In addition, the development of modern educational technology is increasingly dependent on electronic devices, and a complete ban on the use of mobile phones may restrict the development of some teaching activities.
In order to find a balance, schools can consider installing mobile phone jammers in certain specific areas while providing emergency use of mobile phones in other areas. In addition, strengthening students' self-discipline education so that they understand and abide by the school's mobile phone use regulations is also the key to solving the problem. Only with the joint efforts of all parties can we find the best solution that protects students' health without affecting the normal teaching order.
