Denmark To Ban Mobile Phones In Schools and After-School Clubs (theguardian.com) 30
Denmark is set to ban mobile phones in schools and after-school clubs, following a government commission's recommendation that children under 13 should not have their own smartphones. The Guardian reports: The government said it would change existing legislation to force all folkeskole -- comprehensive primary and lower secondary schools -- to become phone-free, meaning that almost all children aged between seven and 16-17 will be required by law not to bring their phones into school. The announcement marks a U-turn by the government, which had previously refused to introduce such a law. It comes as governments across Europe are trying to impose tighter regulations on children's access to phones and social media.
The Danish wellbeing commission was set up by the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, in 2023 to investigate growing dissatisfaction among children and young people. Its long-awaited report, published on Tuesday, raised the alarm over the digitisation of children and young people's lives and called for a better balance between digital and analogue life. Among its 35 recommendations was the need for government legislation banning phones from schools and after-school clubs.
The minister for children and education, Mattias Tesfaye, told Politiken: "There is a need to reclaim the school as an educational space, where there is room for reflection and where it is not an extension of the teenage bedroom." There will be scope for local authorities to make exceptions, including for children with special educational needs, but he said mobile phones and personal tablets "do not belong in school, neither during breaks nor during lessons." He said the government had started preparing a legislative amendment.
The Danish wellbeing commission was set up by the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, in 2023 to investigate growing dissatisfaction among children and young people. Its long-awaited report, published on Tuesday, raised the alarm over the digitisation of children and young people's lives and called for a better balance between digital and analogue life. Among its 35 recommendations was the need for government legislation banning phones from schools and after-school clubs.
The minister for children and education, Mattias Tesfaye, told Politiken: "There is a need to reclaim the school as an educational space, where there is room for reflection and where it is not an extension of the teenage bedroom." There will be scope for local authorities to make exceptions, including for children with special educational needs, but he said mobile phones and personal tablets "do not belong in school, neither during breaks nor during lessons." He said the government had started preparing a legislative amendment.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Smuggled cell phones are less common in Scandinavian prisons, because prisoners are allowed to use prison phones without paying punitive rates.
Re: (Score:3)
Prison phones are monitored and conversations are listened to/recorded. The most important reason why cell phones are smuggled into prisons is for criminal activities management so bosses can order hits or moves for their organizations without being listened to, not to call their wives and kids.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
and important difference between a school and a prison is that one tries to kick you out and the other tries to keep you in.
So its ok for the first couple years at school? (Score:1)
"almost all children aged between seven and 16-17 will be required by law not to bring their phones into school."
So the under 7 year olds get to keep their smartphones?
Say are all schools in Denmark under government control?
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
As an American, I don't understand how Danish parents keep their children from crying if not by putting a tablet or smartphone in front of them for 15 hours a day.
Re: So its ok for the first couple years at school (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You forgot the sarcasm tag, buddy.
Re: (Score:2)
Say are all schools in Denmark under government control?
Yes. Objectively in most democratic countries all schools are under government control. Even private schools are at the mercy of what curriculum needs to be taught in a case of national education standards.
But presumably the rule will only affect public schools not private ones. But why would you send your kid to private school. This isn't America, in Denmark private schools are for stupid kids or stupid parents who think the education system isn't capable of teaching precious little Timmy the right way.
Great idea (Score:2)
A situation (Score:1)
My kid is in 3rd grade. I recently learned at least one kid in his class has a phone (as well as two Switches, an XBox and a VR headset of some kind).
My kid has begged for a phone for a couple of years now. He has been told quite plainly that it isn't happening, for many, many years. Ideally, not until at least high school.
Re: (Score:3)
Smart phone over-use is going to be the mental health equivalent of smoking [oup.com] and likely will have a deleterious effect on academic performance [sciencedirect.com].
Re: A situation (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:1)
Or, you know, a public phone in the office that kids can use to call parents.
Re: (Score:2)
The difference between my childhood and his, we had land lines back in the 80s/90s and I could easily call my friends to see if they wanted to get together. Now I have to send a message to his friends' parents and see if his friend is available (most of them live at least a few miles away and the area is not bike friendly).
Luckily there's a group of boys in the neighborhood so he normally has kids to play with
Re: (Score:1)
Now I have to send a message to his friends' parents and see if his friend is available (most of them live at least a few miles away and the area is not bike friendly).
Nobody has a computer at home?
Re: (Score:2)
I don't see how a computer at home would be useful to arrange a play date that occurs between school and home, unless the computer at home is used to arrange the play date a day in advance. Having everyone stop by home before arranging a play date risks extending the play date either past sunset or past when the evening shift city bus drivers go home to their own families for the night. Either way, there's no time for homework because of all the time spent riding buses.
Re: (Score:1)
Well, I guess I didn't realize you were talking about same-day activities.
In our household, there is just no way anything happens "same day". Even with two parents working from home and only one kid to worry about, the best we can manage is a 5-7 day lead time. Even if all parties had a phone, the odds of a same-day play date happening on a school day are virtually nil.
Fantasy (Score:1)
Nice try.
First, you don't die from carbon monoxide poisoning from being in a closed room.
Second, any room without adequate ventilation that might pose a risk of oxygen deprivation should be marked and either have a non-lockable door or an emergency exit. Not many schools have bank vaults or hermetically sealed detention rooms.
Re: (Score:2)
money and transportation? (Score:2)
A better solution is using wifi access points such as those from Huawei to install 5G Pico cells throughout the schools and block communication throughout the school except for payment processing and "find my" applications for parents.
Ot
How about banning content? (Score:1)
no school shooters (Score:2)
must be nice