Cell phones in schools Chief Education Officer: "I personally would be in favor of a ban"
Switzerland's top education director Silvia Steiner doesn't see why cell phones are needed in class or on the playground. She personally would be in favor of a ban on cell phones, as she says in an interview.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Zurich Director of Education does not believe a general ban on cell phones in schools is necessary, as many schools already have clear rules.
- In Switzerland, several cantons, including Zurich, are discussing bans on cell phones in schools, while some schools already offer alternative options to promote sociability.
- The cantonal school in Chur encourages more social interaction instead of cell phone use through leisure activities such as table tennis and reading corners.
Interpersonal communication has been forgotten to a certain extent, says Silvia Steiner, President of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK), in an interview. Although this is regrettable, Steiner does not believe that there is a need for a general ban on cell phones imposed by politicians, as the centrist politician told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper (Wednesday edition).
However, the Zurich Director of Education makes it clear: "Personally, I would be in favor of a ban on cell phones. I don't see why a cell phone is needed in class or on the playground - except for exceptions."
Most schools already have clear rules on cell phone use and schools have to make their own decisions in this regard. However, she herself does not see why cell phones are needed in class or on the playground.
In Würenlos AG, the smartphone ban on school grounds is a reality
In Switzerland, cell phone bans in schools are an issue in several cantons. In Würenlos in the canton of Aargau, a ban on smartphones on the entire school grounds has been a reality for years. In the canton of Zurich, the issue is being discussed as part of a pending proposal by an SVP and EDU cantonal councillor.
The cantonal school in Chur, on the other hand, is offering various alternatives such as table tennis, table football, a reading corner and even a piano. The aim is to encourage pupils to socialize more, as principal Philippe Benguerel told the Keystone-SDA news agency in mid-September.
Swisscom offers media courses for parents
- Age-appropriate media guidance is very important, as parents of children and parents of teenagers face very different challenges.
- That is why Swisscom offers parenting courses for kindergarten-3rd grade, 4th-6th grade and 7th-9th grade.
- You can find more information and advice on organizing a parents' evening here.
