The Minister of Education of the Netherlands goes to war against mobile phones and other connected watches. These objects must be banned from secondary schools, the Dutch government said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Hague is asking the country’s school management to agree by October on internal regulations with teachers, parents and students in order to remove these devices from classrooms as of January.
The Minister of Education hopes for a “cultural transformation”
“There is growing evidence that cell phones have a harmful effect during lessons,” the executive said. “Students are less able to concentrate and their performance suffers. “For this reason, mobile phones as well as tablets or even connected watches will no longer be authorized in classes from January 1, 2024.”
In a letter to the Lower House of Parliament, Education Minister Robert Dijkgraaf says he hopes for a “cultural transformation that will positively affect the learning climate in classrooms”. “In 2023, mobile phones are an essential part of our daily lives,” he writes. “They provide access to information, connect people and form a single important tool in modern society. However, their role in the classroom is increasingly contested,” continues the Minister.
No formal ban yet
Robert Dijkgraaf also explains that he held discussions on this subject for several months with teachers, scientists, parents and students. “All parties involved emphasize the importance of a learning environment in which students can concentrate and participate. According to him, scientific studies “have shown that the non-educational use of mobile phones harms” this environment.
The center and right-wing coalition government of Mark Rutte has not yet decreed a formal ban on the telephone in class but declares that it reserves the right to do so after an initial assessment of the situation in June 2024.