French primary and secondary school students will have to learn to live without smartphones, tablets, or smartwatches starting in September. Élisabeth Borne announced the news during current affairs questions to the government in the Senate. The Minister of Education was specifically questioned about the "digital pause" being tested this year in around a hundred secondary schools.
Finished Smartphones in the classroom
"All the feedback (...) is very positive, especially regarding the improvement in the school climate," she said. The ban on the use of electronic communications equipment is in effect during all school activities organized in the establishment, of course, but also during activities outside of school. Some flexibility will be allowed for school trips, such as the establishment of a voice service to leave messages for parents or a blog.
For boarding schools, locations and times of use will be explicitly mentioned. And in the event of an emergency, a student will obviously be able to ask an adult to use their cell phone. In all cases, it is the school's internal regulations that set the rules.
The law provides exceptions for students with disabilities or health problems, or for educational uses in the classroom. But the general rule is that "on school premises, students' cell phones must be turned off and put away." Students can have their phones with them, but under the same conditions.
Elisabeth Borne nevertheless prefers that the devices be stored "in lockers or pouches," which implies a budget for this equipment. "The cost per establishment could be zero or a few thousand euros," she assures. The departmental councils will have to finance it since they are the ones who manage the middle schools. Complicated in times of scarcity like the current one.
Source: Public Sénat
0 Comments