Should Mobile Phones Be Banned in Schools?

for some time now, mobile phones have become indispensable and ubiquitous tools in our daily lives. Despite their convenience, they have also brought about new problems, especially among the youth. According to a study published in October, nearly seven out of 10 Chinese schoolchildren own at least one smartphone.

To tackle this new phenomenon, east China’s Shandong Province has, since November this year, implemented a new regulation on the promotion of physical health among the province’s students. According to the regulation, students are strictly prohibited from using both phones and tablets in schools and colleges.

Such a prohibition is not a first: France has banned smartphones in class and “during any teaching activity” since September. However, these new measures have sparked a number of debates and discussions in China.

For proponents of this ban, the use of phones in primary and secondary schools encroaches on study time and physical exercise, which affects both the sight and health of minors. Opponents of the ban, for their part, believe that the prohibition is unreasonable as the issue is more of a clash between a traditional education system and the information age. In place of a clear cut ban, children should be taught to make better use of their phones, which would be more constructive than a zero-tolerance approach.