Lower Saxony and Hamburg: New rules for cell phones in schools presented!

Lower Saxony and Hamburg: New rules for cell phones in schools presented!

In Lower Saxony and Hamburg there is movement in the discussion about the use of cell phones in schools. Instead of a general ban, the education ministries of both federal states have jointly developed a new set of rules, which will be presented on Thursday afternoon. This set of rules is provided to schools as a guide to better structure the use of digital devices, reports World. Education Minister Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) has made it clear that she does not want to see cell phones allowed in primary schools, but rejects blanket bans.

Schools have so far had the freedom to develop their own regulations regarding cell phone use. There are currently no uniform regulations in Lower Saxony and Hamburg. Each school management decides for itself whether to use smartphones, which means that the concepts vary greatly. Some schools use the devices specifically in lessons, while others ban them completely. This poses challenges for many schools because there is a lack of clear rules. This uncertainty remains even when the academic discussion about the effectiveness of a cell phone ban is ongoing NDR determines.

A joint approach

The new recommendations were developed in collaboration with scientific experts, as the data on the use of smartphones by children and young people is considered unclear. Many experts are of the opinion that a simple ban is not the right solution, which can also be observed in other federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which also make recommendations. Against this background, Lower Saxony and Hamburg have decided to take these steps together after the 16 federal states failed to reach an agreement.

Education Senator Ksenija Bekeris (SPD) from Hamburg has taken up the Lower Saxony approach in order to find a uniform direction. Schools that have already made their own regulations are now required to initiate a consultation and decision-making process and come to a new decision within a year. This shows that we are in a flexible but decisive phase in education policy.

A look at the requirements

In Lower Saxony, the CDU and other representatives are calling for a stricter ban on cell phones in schools, but this is not being implemented for the time being. The new guidelines presented today in Hanover can certainly be seen as a step in the right direction to support schools with cell phone use. It remains to be seen how these recommendations will be received in schools and what this means for the future integration of digital devices in lessons.

Another aspect that is becoming increasingly important in the educational landscape is the use of platforms such as YouTube to support teaching. Surveys show that 94% of teachers use YouTube to supplement their curricula. The platform recently announced a new music education series designed to provide high-quality resources for teachers. This illustrates how digital media can be integrated into teaching, but also highlights the need to maintain clear guidelines on cell phone use to avoid distractions and promote learning.

In summary, it can be said that the development of clear guidelines for the use of cell phones in schools remains an important issue because digitalization is fundamentally changing everyday school life and poses new challenges for teachers and students.