Today, the Norwegian Directorate of Education and the government made a recommendation regarding the use of mobile phones in school. The recommendation applies to the entire country. The mobile phone must be taken out of the classroom both at the primary school, the secondary school and at the secondary school. The mobile phone must also not be used during recess at the children’s and junior high school. – Hopeless By Amalie Skram vgs. in Bergen, students have to use their mobile phones to get into the school. For them, it will be a new weekday with mobile-free classrooms. The weekday for Elise Aas, Berentine Lerøy Mohn and Kamilla Tysnes Strøm will be different now that the mobile phone has to be taken out of the classroom. Photo: Hedda Martine Hall Westby / news – It is quite hopeless to have that attitude among today’s students, when much of our school day is spent on us having our mobile phone on us, Elise Aas believes. – We often use mobile phones in teaching, adds Berentine Lerøy Mohn. – I don’t think the teaching would have proceeded in the same way without the phone, says Kamilla Tysnes Strøm. They nevertheless admit that mobile phones are often distracting, and that mobile-free classrooms can lead to them following better. The students at Amalie Skram vgs. admit that the phone can be distracting. Photo: Hedda Martine Hall Westby / news – But in further education, I have a lot of responsibility for my own learning, so sitting with the phone is a choice the student makes, says Elise Aas. Teacher Elisabeth Engum is in favor of having mobile phones in the classroom if they are used professionally. She believes it is a disadvantage if the mobile phone cannot be used as a professional tool. – And at one point or another, one has to learn to handle the fact that the mobile phone is nearby at the same time as they are working, she says. Will consider the need for a ban As the freshly minted Minister of Education, Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) ordered that there should be a clear recommendation for schools to become mobile-free. Although it is now a matter of a national recommendation and not a national ban, the Minister of Knowledge says that in practice it will correspond to a ban on mobile phones. She says she has been busy getting this in place quickly. That is also the reason why it is now a recommendation and not a ban. The Minister of Education distinguished herself early on by saying that she wants national guidelines for the use of mobile phones in school. Photo: Eirin Tjoflot / news – If we were to follow the law, it could take several years, she says. The Minister of Education adds that they will monitor how well the schools are implementing the recommendation, and whether there will eventually be a need for their own legislation. – But I am confident that the schools, municipalities and county councils will follow the professional advice that will now come, she adds. The recommendation from the Norwegian Directorate of Education Children’s level: Udir recommends strictly regulating the use of private mobile phones and smart watches during lessons and free time at the children’s level (1st-7th grade). Pupils’ maturity, social competence and ability to self-regulate are at their lowest early in the school year. In order to create peace and order and a safe and good school environment, there is an additional need for clear and predictable rules at the children’s level. Youth level: Udir recommends strictly regulating the use of private mobile phones and smart watches in teaching in the secondary school level (8th-10th grade), and that as a general rule it should be mobile-free even during breaks. Although the pupils at the secondary level are older than the primary school pupils, consideration for fewer disturbances and a strengthened school environment dictates strict regulation. Secondary education: Udir recommends strictly regulating the use of private mobile phones and smart watches during teaching hours in secondary education. In our view, a strict intervention in free time and breaks will not be proportionate, out of consideration for the pupils’ maturity and age. Considerations for a strengthened learning and school environment may nevertheless justify certain restrictions also during free time. Secondary education is a complex type of school, with several different educational programmes. A regulation must take into account that the teacher considers that pupils may need access to private mobile phones or smart watches during the training, and this should be included in the assessment when establishing regulation through the order regulations locally, as long as it is in line with the free principle. Should be included in the regulations The Norwegian Directorate of Education was given the task of preparing the recommendation. – What we recommend is a mobile-free school day as much as possible, says director of education Morten Rosenkvist. He says that they consider that mobile phone use in school leads to a lot of unrest and disturbances for both the pupils and the teachers. Mobile phone use also stands in the way of the learning and well-being of the pupils at school, he says. The Directorate asks the county councils, municipalities and schools to regulate the use of mobile phones in the order regulations. – The order’s regulations are a local regulation that must be determined locally. It also suggests that a process is needed locally to put in place exactly how this should look. Director of Education Morten Rosenkvist believes that the mobile phone leads to a lot of unrest and disturbances. Photo: Eirin Tjoflot / news The schools can use the recommendations already today, says Rosenkvist. – We will also come with a legal guide on how the municipalities can now proceed to easily make these changes in the order regulations and get these recommendations in place, he adds.
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Mobile phones will now be out of the classroom – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
