Navigating Smartphones in Schools: Teachers Seek Clear Guidelines on Student Devices
Educators seek clarity on the legal standing regarding mobile phone usage - Educators seek clarification on mobile phone usage's legal standing
When a student boasts about inappropriate content on their cell phone during a school break, teachers find themselves in a tricky situation. This conundrum became evident at a hearing in the education committee of the state parliament in Schwerin.
According to several experts, teachers tread a thin line when investigating such suspicions and wish to view a student's private smartphone without infringing upon their privacy rights. The chairwoman of the school management association Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Heike Walter, called for better legal protection from the state for teachers to act decisively without compromising the privacy of students.
Professor Katharina Scheiter, an educator from Potsdam, agreed, stating that clear guidelines for enforcing regulations, including towards parents, would benefit teachers. Another expert, Professor Rainer Riedel, a neurologist and psychotherapist, likened the matter to traffic laws. Using a cell phone while driving is strictly prohibited, and violations result in penalties. Implementing similar rules for students might give teachers a clear framework for action, he suggested.
Schools prefer autonomy over guidelines from the Ministry of Education
In decisions regarding the use of personal digital devices such as smartphones or smartwatches in school, schools seek significant autonomy and do not prefer binding regulations from the Ministry, as demonstrated during the hearing. Many schools have already established regulations in school conferences involving students and teachers.
For example, in numerous primary schools, students are required to keep their phones off or hand them over at the start of the school day. As students grow older, they are given more freedom. The principal of the Grundschule Sandberg, Neustrelitz, Betty Hirschfeld, advocated for an outright ban on personal smartphones in school until the end of secondary school, that is, up to grade nine. Doctor Rainer Riedel, on the other hand, advocated for "phone-free zones" to address the growing issues of poor health, excessive digital media use, and clumsiness among today's children.
A cat-and-mouse game between students and teachers
Felix Wizowsky, chairman of the state student council, argues against an outright ban on smartphones in school, stating it could lead to a cat and mouse game between students and teachers. He believes that agreement for handing in phones before class is acceptable, but bans are ineffective.
In addition to the risks, smartphones offer numerous opportunities. However, Wizowsky suggests that the mobile phone should occupy minimal space in school for students up to grade six.
Digital devices can be creatively incorporated into teaching
Mobile phones, when used appropriately, could be a valuable educational tool. "You could write a German dictation on the keyboard," Wizowsky proposed.
Minister of Education Simone Oldenburg intends to develop a guide for schools on how teachers can legally handle mobile phones in the school context. The guide will also offer suggestions for suitable and practical regulations for various types of schools. Oldenburg opposed a complete ban on private mobile phones, tablets, or smartwatches in schools, favoring a more flexible approach that considers the age, extent, and manner of use of digital devices.
References:- Right to Privacy and Informational Self-Determination (Article 2 in combination with Article 1 GG) [not directly cited in the results, but a legal principle]- German Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG)
- Cell phone
- Smartphone
- Legal certainty
- Schwerin
- Education
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Flensburg
In the call for better legal protection for teachers, Heike Walter, chairwoman of the school management association Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, proposes the need for legal certainty in handling student's smartphones without compromising their privacy rights.
In a flexible approach towards integrating technology in school, Minister of Education Simone Oldenburg champions the use of smartphones as a valuable educational tool, while opposing a complete ban on them, focusing instead on suitable and practical regulations.
