Banning Phones at School: Yes, Please!
Are we "going back in time" by banning phones in schools, or have we finally realized that the future might look better without them?
At Calvijn College in the Netherlands, banning mobile phones has sparked a surprising transformation. Initially met with skepticism — some students joked they were being sent back to the 1800s — the decision to eliminate phones from the school campus revived the institution’s social culture.
Students now engage more in face-to-face interactions, and the once-empty ping-pong tables are alive with activity (what a suprise!). This shift is spreading across Europe, with France, Belgium, and Hungary introducing similar bans to combat distractions in classrooms.
While research shows improvements in attention and social interactions, not all students are thrilled — some feel forced into socializing when they’d prefer scrolling (and that's exactly why phones should be banned!).
Nonetheless, the success at Calvijn College suggests this trend may be here to stay. Could this move toward less tech in schools create more focused, engaged students, or are we just delaying the inevitable integration of devices in education?
Read the full article on The Guardian.
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