Latvia’s Parliament, the Saeima, approved amendments to the Education Law on Thursday to ban the use of mobile phones in schools up to and including Year 6 unless such devices are necessary in the educational process.
Schools must establish the relevant conditions and procedures by May 31 of next year.
The proposal was submitted by opposition MP Česlavs Batņa (United List). It won the support of several factions in the Saeima, as well as the Latvian Education Trade Union and the Latvian Association of School Directors. Only members of the Stability faction voted against the passage of the amendments on third and final reading.
The latest UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on Education, “Technology in Education,” urges countries to set rules on how technology is developed and used in education so that it does not replace personal and teacher-led teaching and learning.
The Netherlands, Greece and Italy have already banned the use of mobile phones in the classroom, while legislators in Germany are currently considering the matter.
The UNESCO report calls on countries to assess whether technology is necessary in education and whether it provides equal opportunities for all. The report adds that there is little evidence to suggest that digital technologies offer much added value, not least because technologies are currently evolving faster than people can keep up.
Technologies of universal design have helped to expand learning opportunities for people with different abilities such as visual impairments, but access to such technologies is not equal. Only 40% of primary schools, 50% of middle schools and 65% of secondary schools in the world have Internet connections at all.
The UNESCO report also highlights the facts that teachers can feel overwhelmed when it comes to the use of technologies in learning, and only one-half of countries have established standards for the development of ICT skills among teachers. The report also points to a lack of regulation of quality and diversity, criticising failures to take into account the long-term impact of technologies on public budgets, the well-being of children and the planet.
Source: BNS
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