Oldenburg demands: No uniform cell phone bans in schools!

Oldenburg demands: No uniform cell phone bans in schools!

Many school children in Germany these days always have their cell phones with them, which always leads to heated discussions. At the Education Ministers' Conference in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Simone Oldenburg, President of the Education Ministers' Conference and Education Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, spoke on this topic and emphasized that there will be no nationwide regulations for cell phone bans in schools. Due to federalism, individual federal states can set their own regulations, which means that uniform use of cell phones in schools is difficult. Oldenburg calls for more competence in dealing with social media, as schools often only have limited access to it. She also notes that the responsibility also lies with the parents, as Federal Education Minister Karin Prien strongly emphasizes.

The debate about cell phone bans takes place in a context that is worrying for many. According to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov, over 90 percent of Germans would like restrictions on cell phone use in schools. 50 percent of those surveyed support a general ban on private cell phone use, while 41 percent support a partial ban at certain times. We are therefore experiencing a development that is already a reality in countries such as France and the Netherlands. There have been regulations in place for a long time that restrict the use of cell phones in class. In Italy, for example, a ban on smartphone use will be introduced in higher grades from the 2025/2026 school year. The 12-year-old students are not allowed to use cell phones in class.

Media education and challenges

Another aspect that both Oldenburg and Prien emphasize is the need for comprehensive media education. This seems more important than mere regulations on cell phone use. The expert commission that Prien is planning to develop recommendations for dealing with digital media. The commission's first meeting is scheduled for this summer break and the first results are expected to be available early next year. The aim of these measures is to teach students how to use digital media so that they can better recognize the dangers that lurk on the Internet - such as cyber grooming, violence or extremism.

A study also shows that young people in Germany spend an average of 36.9 hours per week on their smartphones. Many of them receive a variety of notifications every day during school hours. This constant availability not only puts a strain on them, but also poses health risks. According to studies, 24.5 percent of 10 to 17 year olds used social media services at risk, which has further fueled the discussion about cell phone use in schools. Few scientific studies show that schools that ban cell phones in class often achieve better test results, especially among lower-performing students.

In summary, it can be said that the questions surrounding cell phone use in schools have far-reaching social implications. There will not be a uniform ban, but the call for more media literacy and responsible use of technologies is becoming louder. What happens next remains to be seen, as the discourse is by no means over. Society is called upon to think and have a say in how we can prepare our children for a digital future.

For more information on this topic, you can read the articles from Deutschlandfunk, Time and German school portal read.