UNESCO calls for global ban on smartphones in schools

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has called for a global ban on smartphones in schools, saying it can disrupt learning in classrooms.

In the 2023 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, the UN education arm found “some technology can support some learning in some contexts, but not when it is over-used or inappropriately used.” This included smartphones, which were found to cause distraction in students studying pre-primary to higher education in 14 countries.

“Even just having a mobile phone nearby with notifications coming through is enough to result in students losing their attention from the task at hand.  One study found that it can take students up to 20 minutes to refocus on what they were learning once distracted,” UNESCO said.

A study cited in the report also showed removing smartphones from schools in Belgium, Spain, and the United Kingdom improved the students’ learning outcomes.

Further, UNESCO raised concerns about data privacy as only 16% of countries guarantee data privacy in education by law. The report also cited an analysis, showing that 89% of 163 education technology products recommended during the COVID-19  pandemic could survey children and at least 39 of the 42 governments providing online education during the pandemic fostered uses that risked or infringed on children’s rights.

“The digital revolution holds immeasurable potential but, just as warnings have been voiced for how it should be regulated in society, similar attention must be paid to the way it is used in education,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

According to UNESCO, the 2023 GEM Report calls for “decisions about technology in education to prioritize the needs of the learner, making sure that any uses of technology are appropriate, equitable, scalable and sustainable”.

“Students need to learn the risks and opportunities that come with technology and not be shielded from them entirely.  But countries need to give better guidance on what technology is allowed in school and what is not, and on their responsible use. Only technology that has a clear role in supporting learning should be allowed in school,” said Azoulay.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News