French School Students To Be Banned From Using Mobile Phones (theguardian.com) 136
The lower house of parliament in France has passed what it called a "detox" law for a younger generation increasingly addicted to screens. As a result, French school students will be banned from using mobile phones anywhere on school grounds starting in September. The Guardian reports: The new law bans phone-use by children in school playgrounds, at breaktimes and anywhere on school premises. Legislation passed in 2010 already states children should not use phones in class. During a parliamentary debate, lawmakers from Macron's La Republique En Marche party said banning phones in schools meant all children now had a legal "right to disconnect" from digital pressures during their school day. Some in Macron's party had initially sought to go even further, arguing that adults should set an example and the the ban should be extended to all staff in schools, making teachers surrender their phones on arrival each morning. But Macron's education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, brushed this aside, saying it wasn't necessary to extend the ban to teachers and staff.
Use paper (Score:1)
to pass messages in class.
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Since it was impossible to use the Minitel in class I don't think this ban is trying to revive a dead technology.
Although funny as it seems, the Minitel never had all the vulnerabilities of the classic internet with its viruses, malwares, spam etc... since it was a closed system and it god damn worked. It was pricey, you had to time your connection but it just worked. And yeah even stupid people could use it so simple it was. France lost something useful when the Internet killed the Minitel.
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The point should be, this isn't school rules, this is government mandated LAW....
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The point should be, this isn't school rules, this is government mandated LAW....
Is there much difference these days? Schools in most countries have lost most of their autonomy. Even in the USA where we have local school districts with local tax dollars, everything from which books to use to how many days/hours to be in school to what to feed for lunch is dictated by the government.
When I was in school, unauthorized items including electronic games, etc... were confiscated by the individual teachers. If you were lucky, you got it back at the end of the current school day. In other c
Phones used to run a graphing calculator app (Score:1)
Phones should remain in their locker during school hours.
Should graphing calculators also "remain in their locker during school hours"? If not, why should phones used to run a graphing calculator app "remain in their locker during school hours"?
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Are you too stupid to realize there's a difference between a tool, primarily used for a single function (helping with math calculations) and a toy which CAN have that kind of functionality, or are you just trolling?
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Are you too stupid to realize there's a difference between a tool, primarily used for a single function (helping with math calculations) and a toy which CAN have that kind of functionality, or are you just trolling?
I'm smart enough to realize that if a high school freshman already carries an entry-level Android phone on a low-end prepaid plan (no cellular data and a handful of minutes and texts per month), a graphing calculator app for that phone can be much cheaper for the parents than a dedicated TI-8x graphing calculator, which includes a hefty surcharge for College Board rent seeking.
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Yeah, and...?
Seriously, who cares if it is cheaper? This is about what is right (for French school children), not about what is cheap.
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In other words, this ban can work provided the people of France are willing to pay for a full set of calculators or other electronic learning aids for every public school classroom that requires students to use them.
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Whether every classroom carries a full set or just a handful for those who forgot or cannot afford their own calculators depends on the attitude of the taxpayers in the area toward funding public K-12 education. Some states' fiscally conservative electorates have chosen to put a ceiling on property tax.
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Should graphing calculators also "remain in their locker during school hours"? If not, why should phones used to run a graphing calculator app "remain in their locker during school hours"?
My kids school allows phones but doesn't allow graphic calculator apps to be used on tests and even if they did, all their instructions are for a single model and brand so kids would be on their own. Same with colleges. Colleges aren't going to allow smartphones to be used on tests anytime soon. Kids are still going to be required to buy dedicated graphing calculators. I've heard plenty of parents say that an app would be cheaper but I doubt many schools are going to budge. So yes, in theory, some kids
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Does your kid's school keep a full classroom set of graphing calculators on hand for tests? (And to the point of the article, do French schools?) A phone ban could work if that is the case.
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Does your kid's school keep a full classroom set of graphing calculators on hand for tests? (And to the point of the article, do French schools?) A phone ban could work if that is the case.
Some schools do, but most I've seen require kids to buy their own as part of their school supplies at the beginning of the year. I've heard plenty of parents complain over the years especially when they already have calculator A (from another kid/class) but now need calculator B but that's how it's usually done in the USA from what I've seen. Most elementary schools do have some sort of allowance for kids who can't afford to buy their own. In college, you're usually on your own and I saw some kids try to
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Yes.
Anyone who has been paying attention during their maths lessons can look at the function, derive the inflexion points and axis crossing points and sketch the curve within a few seconds. If you don't understand the maths, then you have already failed your maths test and that's your education over and finished. I'll have fries with that burger.
If your school curriculum is so fucked up that your Physics course demands things th
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Lol right. Phones cost maybe $100-$1000, do you really think parents would be ok with teachers having an arbitrary confiscation of a $1000 phone that lets the parent talk to their kid? And do you really think teachers want to be responsible for safely storing thousands of dollars of electronics?
This policy has to be clear policy with well understood rules. I am a teacher and I gotta say bravo for France. Cell phone use in class is basically every teacherâ(TM)s pet peeve, and making it federal policy will help the nations schools.
I sent an email just last week giving my kids teachers permission to take away their phone and not be responsible for damages. Our school also implemented a no backpack policy for a while and required them to be left at the office. It's simple enough to require kids to either leave them at home or leave them in their lockers. Lots of schools have lots of policies from no ballcaps, to no guns, to certain dress codes. It would be easy to just say no phones allowed at school. Lots of businesses do that al
Sad generation (Score:5, Informative)
I pass about 8 school grounds (covering all age groups) on the way to work every day for over a decade. I remember it was always kids playing sports, on the swings, running around, etc. The last 5 years it's mostly sitting around and staring at phones.
I'm so thankful I wasn't raised in this generation.
Re:Sad generation (Score:5, Funny)
I pass about 8 school grounds (covering all age groups) on the way to work every day for over a decade. I remember it was always kids playing sports, on the swings, running around, etc. The last 5 years it's mostly sitting around and staring at phones.
I'm so thankful I wasn't raised in this generation.
My grandparents said the same thing. They used to ride horses to school and go fishing at lunchtime. We were slackers that bludged along on those new fangled bicycle thingies and simply ran around a field with a ball at lunch instead of having real fun. Nothing good would ever come from that apparently...
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Well compared to them we were slackers*, so I'm not really seeing your point. The current generation is just continuing the downward trend. Take it forward another 40 years or so and kids will probably spend all day lying on motorised armchairs cyber-bullying each other via brain implant while their parents sit at home on their antique smartphones bemoaning how "kids these days" can't be bothered moving their thumbs to type like they did in the good old days.
*for example my grandfather used to ride a hors
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*for example my grandfather used to ride a horse to school at 7am every morning *after* milking the cows and helping with odd-jobs around the farm.
A horse? You flash git.
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Given the mess caused by the few horses we get riding through the village I'm kind of glad every kid isn't on one every day. The country would be ankle deep in shit.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
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My grandparents said the same thing. They used to ride horses to school and go fishing at lunchtime. We were slackers that bludged along on those new fangled bicycle thingies and simply ran around a field with a ball at lunch instead of having real fun. Nothing good would ever come from that apparently...
Good example - nothing good did come from it :)
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My grandparents said the same thing. They used to ride horses to school and go fishing at lunchtime. We were slackers that bludged along on those new fangled bicycle thingies and simply ran around a field with a ball at lunch instead of having real fun.
Unless your grandparents grew up in the 1850's, bicycles wouldn't be considered "new fangled thingies". ;-)
Re:Sad generation (Score:5, Insightful)
I pass about 8 school grounds (covering all age groups)
Where I live (San Jose, CA) the elementary schools ban devices. They can be powered off in a backpack, but can't be turned on during school hours.
Middle schools and high schools are more permissive, banning only in-class use. At my daughter's high school, any student whose phone rings in class has to get up in front of the class and dance The Macarena [youtube.com]. This is a surprisingly effective deterrent.
Macarena Non Stop (Score:2)
At my daughter's high school, any student whose phone rings in class has to get up in front of the class and dance The Macarena. This is a surprisingly effective deterrent.
Until you get to the showoff with six different remixes of "Macarena" on his phone, including the one that sounds like it's straight out of Mortal Kombat ("La Mezcla Guerrillera by Fangoria" [youtube.com]) and the one that sounds like almost a mash-up with "Unbelievable" by EMF ("Bass Bumpers Remix" [youtu.be]).
Source: Macarena Non Stop [wikipedia.org]
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I pass about 8 school grounds (covering all age groups) on the way to work every day for over a decade. I remember it was always kids playing sports, on the swings, running around, etc. The last 5 years it's mostly sitting around and staring at phones.
I'm so thankful I wasn't raised in this generation.
A year ago, I went with a group of scouts to Seabase in the Florida Keys. We spent a week on an island with no electronics of any kind, even watches. When we got back, the kids all spent their time playing odd physical games, while the various adult leaders were all sitting silently staring at their phones.
I put my phone away at that point.
BTW, did _you_ spend any time today outside just running around?
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Adults do this too these days. :P
Mind evolving... (Score:2)
I clearly remember, although I am not able to track the reference right now, of an ancient roman text that went somehow this way:
It was during the wars of Cleopatre. The scene depicted a war field, with one of Cleopatre generals receiving orders, reading them, then turning to apply them.
In any classical movie you can imagine the picture : general receives sealed package, unseals, reads, and now on to the next action scene, nothing special to be seen here.
Then, the actual roman text: written by the man dedic
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An anecdote from my grandfather: when he was in the army (in the 1930's, in southern Europe), lots of folks couldn't read but still received letters from their family, so my grandfather would read them aloud. They wanted him to put his hands over his ears so he wouldn't hear what he was reading.
Throw-in (Score:2)
throwing a football into the field
hey stupid, its france, they dont throw in football, they kick.
Until someone kicks the ball across the sideline. Then it's just as AC said: throwing a football into the field [wikipedia.org].
Good... (Score:5, Insightful)
Hmm, correction... (Score:2)
They're also a distraction in lectures/classes -- you retain a lot more if you're taking notes on paper and not browsing the Internet.
IDK, in many of the classes I've been in I would probably have learned more if I spent the class Googling the topic instead of taking notes.
Once again people who actually study are forced to pay for the sins of those who cannot.
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No you wouldn't, you remember more taking notes than reading off a screen.
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Unless...you educate your children, and provide them with devices - and the knowledge to use them - that enable them to securely share notes, pictures etc.
It makes them more productive and ready for more advanced environments later.
If you're here, you're a nerd with your own private server(s) - start with this:
https://nextcloud.com/ [nextcloud.com]
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You can also take notes on a laptop or tablet ...
And if you insist on handwriting, just take a tablet that is suited for that (or an eBook reader).
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Legal right? (Score:5, Insightful)
students will be banned from using mobile phones
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a legal "right to disconnect"
Being forced to do something isn't a "right", unless you live in Oceania
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unless you live in Oceania
I do live in Oceania, mate. Bloody yanks.
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there are many reasons why having phones in class is a good thing: shooters, terrorists, medical emergency
All those should be covered by the responsible adults running the school. Seriously.
fights
I fail to see how the ability to video fights on your phone and post them on YouTube is some sort of fundamental human right.
No it is a right (Score:2)
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This is correct of the United States. It is not correct of other countries like Germany, which ban homeschooling.
Never happen in America (Score:2)
Phones Are HELPFUL! (Score:2, Informative)
My daughter's school had a water main break & flooding. They canceled school in the middle of the day. Her ability to call me was a godsend!
Mind you, her phone stays in her locker all day. She can't use it in classes or during lunch. But when we need to coordinate after-school activities, having a phone available for texting or calls is a godsend!
Re:Phones Are HELPFUL! (Score:4, Insightful)
Little known fact: there were no after-school activities before the advent of cell phones. That was indeed the technology that finally enabled them.
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Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Children do not need phones in school (Score:5, Insightful)
My daughter's school had a water main break & flooding. They canceled school in the middle of the day. Her ability to call me was a godsend!
Do you suffer from the delusion that that sort of thing never happened prior to mobile phones being widely available? Here is a hint. The SCHOOL called you instead. I know, right? You might actually have to talk to an adult!
Schools now can very easily send a blast message out to all parents via text or email. They also maintain call lists and other people have phones too. Your child would have survived just fine and worst case would have been bored for a few hours. Schools are well equipped to deal with this sort of thing.
But when we need to coordinate after-school activities, having a phone available for texting or calls is a godsend!
No it has become a crutch. It is not necessary. When I was school age I had no problem coordinating after school activities with my parents and I didn't get a mobile phone until I was 26. Your argument is specious.
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My daughter's school had a water main break & flooding. They canceled school in the middle of the day. Her ability to call me was a godsend!
Call me old fashioned, but I think I'd want a boring old phone call from an actual adult at the school in that sort of situation.
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Yeah, and so want the other 300 parents of those 300 kids. ... adds up to 5hours of phone calls. Sure, if the teachers have mobiles probably 10 teachers can call 30 parents each, still takes half an hour.
So, one minute per kid to inform the parent
It makes much more sense each child calls on its own, and only those who have no phone are covered by other kids or teachers.
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And how does the guardian get in touch with the kid with the arrangement?
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"Her ability to call me was a godsend!"
Because it's impossible to make a phone call without using your personal mobile phone,
Secondary school (Score:2)
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From TFA: "... in nursery, primary and middle-schools, until around the age of 15. "
I'm so glad they passed this law (I'm French), and really surprized to see most people thinking that way. We went really far in kid's addiction to smartphones & social media ; time to control this shit a little. This is an important milestone.
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I'm french too, and nobody "dictates" me how I should live. Hopefully ! Some may think it's over-regulated. That's a different thing to me. :P
Freedom remain central in France, and this is what really matters to me. You're even free to leave France and find a better place elsewhere
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Freedom remain central in France
Well, unless you want to wear something the government deems inappropriate. https://www.theguardian.com/wo... [theguardian.com]
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nobody "dictates" me how I should live
May I carry a gun?
Non!
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No, you can't. People don't have guns here. This is not the kind of freedom I'm looking after, but granted: thats personal opinion.I'm actually glad other's can't have this "freedom"in my country. You also can't do religion proselytizing in public schools; it goes as far as not showing obvious religion signs. People have fought and voted for this in the past. Nothing I would call "lack of freedom".
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French governments believe there need to be laws framing every single aspect of human existence. It's just a Gallic tradition, like blocking roads and making boring TV shows.
Surrender phones before class (Score:2)
What use is a school (Score:1)
Which group is going to think this is a bad idea? (Score:1)
Not a drill (Score:2, Funny)
In the US, we can't ban mobile phones from schools because then how would students be able to tell their parents goodbye when they're hiding in a closet from a member of the well-regulated militia?
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That's just a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Yes, a once in a very short lifetime event, in quite a lot of people's lifetimes in the USA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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Look, I live in England and am thus legally obliged to hate the French and even I think you're a twat.
It's not just the way you failed miserably in responding to his valid point, the inherent racism, the assumption of his religion. It's the pathetic childish lack of imagination you used in your insult.
Please, do try harder.
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the per student death rate from school shootings in France is 4 times higher than in the US
Now that's a scientific fact: there's no real evidence for it, but it is scientific fact.
(Copyright Dr Fox).
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And when was the last school shooting in France? 2017 happened 1 with 4 injured, the one before that was 2012 ... 4 dead.
Interesting list: https://www.infoplease.com/us/... [infoplease.com]
Shootings every month, sometimes more than once a month in the US ... and you think more die in France, ha ha ha ha.
French students will (Score:2)
Got to study more for your professionnel, technologique, général, scientifique, économique et social curriculum for real in the future.
Hours of study. Learning equations, facts, how to think within in a set time. Rather than what site to look up that has the needed facts on Napoleons successful campaigns.
The happy decade of glowing instant networked support is over.
The only skill an entire generation had was how to use the internet.
With acade
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Re:French students will (Score:4, Insightful)
Dumb (Score:2)
Wouldn't it be a whole lot smarter to teach the kids how to have access to their phones but not to use it? - Because that's how the world is outside the school...
A straight-out ban teaches nothing and only encourages students to find workarounds and similar.
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Wouldn't it be a whole lot smarter to teach the kids how to have access to their phones but not to use it? - Because that's how the world is outside the school...
A straight-out ban teaches nothing and only encourages students to find workarounds and similar.
You can't workaround having a teacher smash your precious phone to pieces with a club hammer.
Word confusion (Score:2)
During a parliamentary debate, lawmakers from Macron's La Republique En Marche party said banning phones in schools meant all children now had a legal "right to disconnect" from digital pressures during their school day.
Sort of like my right to not kill people in public? Seriously, 'right to disconnect' is totally the wrong choice of words. How the hell did 'banning phones' morph into 'right to disconnect'? Even for a euphemism, that's a pretty serious stretch.
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We're not denying you something. We're expanding your rights citizen!