Netherlands to Ban Mobile Phones in Classrooms Next Year

The Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Robbert Dijkgraaf has recently announced that mobile phones and other smart devices will no longer be allowed in classrooms in the Netherlands effective from January 1, 2024.  

The ban on mobile phones in school classrooms is aimed at limiting potential distractions for students and helping students learn well, according to Dutch officials.

CNN reported on Wednesday that students in Holland will be allowed to use mobile phones and other smart devices only when appearing for digital skills classes and medical courses.

The Dutch government has announced that students with disabilities can use smart devices to meet their needs.

Mobile phones should only be permitted if they are “necessary for the content of the lesson,” or for students who “depend on their phone, for example for medical reasons or due to a disability,” the education ministry in a statement said.  

“Although smartphones are intertwined with our lives, it does not belong to the classroom,” Dutch Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said.

Robbet Tijkgraaf further added, “Students should be able to concentrate and get a chance to learn well. Research findings indicate that mobile phones are a major distraction. We have to protect students against this phenomenon.”

Dutch authorities have announced that schools and teachers should prepare well for the implementation of the act, and if the issue is not resolved by spring 2024, the Netherlands will seek a legal solution to this issue.

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