UNESCO: Smartphones Should be Banned in Schools

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Facts

  • A new UNESCO report released on Tuesday has recommended banning smartphones in schools globally to enhance critical thinking and improve learning.1
  • The report found that smartphones had a detrimental impact on children’s emotional stability and educational performance, and that a ban is essential to protect students from online bullying.2
  • Digital technology as a whole, including artificial intelligence, should never take precedence over an in-person, teacher-led instruction system of teaching, the report added.3
  • UNESCO’s director-general Audrey Azoulay cited the lack of appropriate governance and regulation to justify the agency’s call for a global ban on smartphones in schools, adding that the technology must primarily meet "the needs of the learner” and not act as a "substitute for human interaction."2
  • In its 2023 Global Education Monitor report, UNESCO argued that there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest technology added value to education, calling the influence of private education companies trying to sell digital learning products “a cause for concern.”2
  • UNESCO analyzed about 200 education systems worldwide and estimated that one in six countries had banned smartphones in school, with the Netherlands set to ban phones, tablets, and smartwatches in classrooms starting January 2024.4

Sources: 1Unesco, 2Guardian, 3The Telegraph, and 4BBC News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Atlantic. Educators, school administration, and parents must heed UNESCO’s call to ban smartphones in schools as they are extremely detrimental to children’s learning, social skills, and mental health. The mere presence of a smartphone is enough to reduce a child’s cognitive capacity. These gadgets are not just becoming a distraction for students and wasting their time, they are forcing teachers to change their focus from education to discipline.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Conversation. Banning smartphones entirely from schools is dangerous, as it could make it difficult for students to contact their parents in emergencies, including in cases of physical bullying. Instead of an outright ban, children must be taught how to use their smartphones responsibly. Absolute restrictions may or may not limit distractions, but responsible usage will make personal technology an unparalleled teaching tool.