Schleswig-Holstein: Clear cell phone rules for schools up to the 9th grade!

Schleswig-Holstein: Clear cell phone rules for schools up to the 9th grade!

In Schleswig-Holstein, the use of private smartphones in schools is being reregulated. Education Minister Dorit Stenke (CDU) has announced that there will be a decree this summer banning the private use of cell phones in schools up to the 9th grade. This will come into force for the coming school year and aims to design schools as protective spaces and to promote media literacy among students. There is no general ban on carrying digital devices; Rather, schools should develop concrete rules themselves in cooperation with students, teachers and parents. In this way, the individual situation can be better taken into account, as heise.de reports.

The Minister of Education refers to worrying studies that document long screen times among young people. The average screen time for 15-year-olds in Germany is around seven hours per day, which can potentially result in attention deficits and difficulty concentrating. Stenke explained that prolonged use of smartphones can not only affect students' social contacts, but also increase the risk of bullying. For these reasons, the decree is seen as a necessary step to protect students from the potential negative effects of excessive smartphone use, as ndr.de explains.

Flexibility and school autonomy

It is important to emphasize that it is up to the schools how the ban on private use is specifically implemented. Some schools have already created their own rules, such as “cell phone hotels” where students can leave their devices during school hours. The state of Schleswig-Holstein sees this flexibility as an opportunity to find viable solutions together with the school community. However, uniform guidelines should help to set professional standards while maintaining the schools' personal responsibility.

Interestingly, there is already experience from primary schools in Schleswig-Holstein that have applied similar regulations since 2023. These measures were viewed as positive, which strengthens the hope that secondary schools can also benefit from the new regulations. Critics such as FDP MP Anne Riecke see the ban as a sign of helplessness and are instead calling for a stronger focus on media literacy in line with the responsible use of digital devices. SPD MP Martin Habersaat also expresses concerns about the enforceability and the lack of uniform digital equipment in schools.

Overarching debate about media literacy

This discussion is taking place not only in Schleswig-Holstein, but also in other federal states. Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) is committed to restrictions and age restrictions in the area of ​​social media use at the federal level. It is clear that the issue of media literacy and the correct handling of digital media will remain central points of educational policy. It is of great importance that schools act as “digital free spaces” in which students not only learn technological skills, but can also deal critically with the media, as bpb.de emphasizes.

The coming months will show how the new regulations affect everyday school life and whether it is possible to find a balance between the necessary media skills and the responsible use of technologies. It remains exciting to see how schools and their communities will work together to overcome these challenges.