Education Ministry Recommends Pupils Hand Over Phones Before First Lesson

Bratislava. November 19 (TASR) - The Education Ministry recommends that pupils hand over their mobile phones to teachers before the start of the first lesson, according to the ministry's guideline on regulating the use of mobile phones. The ministry also outlined four alternative options for regulating mobile phone use in schools, which will take effect on January 1 next year. The ministry's top recommendation is for pupils to hand in their mobile phones to class teachers before the start of the first lesson. Mobiles would then be stored in a locked storage box designated for this purpose and returned to their owners at the end of the lessons. However, schools may also choose other options, such as collecting mobile phones at the school entrance or pupils leaving them in lockers. Another alternative is to leave the phone with a pupil on a condition it won't be activated or used during school hours. The least preferred option is for pupils to enter the school premises without mobile phones. The ministry noted that school directors should include new policies in school rules that regulate the use of mobile phones in a way that reflects the individual context of the school. The guideline also applies to other personal electronic communication devices, such as smart watches and tablets, for instance, with exceptions for devices owned and managed by schools. According to the new guideline, there will be a complete ban on the use of mobile phones during lessons, breaks, and on school premises for pupils in grades one to three (aged 6 to 9) of primary schools. From the fourth grade onwards, the ban will include an exception if required by the national curriculum or if the teacher decides to allow it for educational purposes. lin/mcs/am