UNSECO report urges the ban of smartphones in schools

A new report from UNESCO, the UN’s education, science and culture agency, recommends that smartphones should be banned from classrooms. This suggestion has been made in order to help curb cyberbullying and disruption to learning. The report also cites increased amounts of screen time as being detrimental to a child’s emotional stability. The findings recommend that the inclusion of digital devices or software should be there to supplement face-to-face interaction with teachers, not to replace or take away from it. This come with warning from UNESCO that any benefits gained from using technology should not be at the cost of already established learning practices. As well as the suggestion of banning smartphones in school, UNESCO has also emphasised that countries need to establish clear objectives and principles for how technology is used in education. It is pointed out that technology should be used for the benefit to learning, with an emphasis also on the security of student information gathered this way. Read more here.