School mobile phone ban sparks debate in Finland

The Finnish National Agency for Education announced on Monday that it recommends schools prohibit the disruptive use of mobile phones during classes and restrict their use during breaks, reported Xinhua.

This announcement has sparked debate over whether and how to restrain mobile phone use in schools across society.

The Ministry of Education is reported preparing legislation to enforce such restrictions.

Minister for Education Anders Adlercreutz said on Monday that it remains uncertain whether a full ban will be enacted or if the forthcoming law will simply grant teachers broad authority to manage phone use in classrooms.

However, he emphasized that any rules should be consistent across the country.

It was recently announced that Tampere, the third most populous municipality in Finland, will implement "a mobile phone ban" in schools starting this week for the fall semester.

Tampere's plan is to prohibit phones in junior high school classrooms from grades six to nine. However, it is a strong recommendation rather than an outright ban, the city said, as Finnish law does not allow for the complete prohibition of mobile phone use by students.

Nevertheless, the city's decision was influenced by positive feedback on an experiment conducted last semester in three schools, where students had to surrender their phones during class.

On Monday, Ville Raatikainen, director of Tampere's basic education, said to Xinhua that a total ban on mobile phones cannot be enforced. However, teachers have always the right to confiscate phones if they disrupt lessons.

According to him, starting this semester, every school in Tampere will implement the ban, with a policy strongly recommending that students leave their phones in a designated container at the beginning of each lesson.

In Raatikainen's view, the mobile phone ban could enhance students' concentration, reduce harassment caused by phones, and provide more structured lessons. He also noted that integrating new habits into school culture requires time and patience from all stakeholders.

According to the Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ), mobile phones disrupt classes in both primary and secondary schools. Pauliina Viitamies, an OAJ special expert, told the Finnish national broadcaster Yle recently that teachers say it takes considerable time to address the disturbances caused by phones.

Viitamies urged the government to address the issue promptly, stressing the importance of having uniform rules across all schools. She emphasized that stricter regulations and clearer guidelines are needed while ensuring that the legislation does not impose unreasonable additional work on teachers and other school staff.

The Finnish Chamber of Commerce has lent its support to the restriction. In a press release published on Tuesday, Suvi Pulkkinen, chief expert at the business network, said that on average, young Finnish people receive over 200 notifications on their phones daily, with girls spending an average of six hours on their phones each day.

Increasing in phone use has coincided with a decline in basic skills among children and young people, as well as rising behavioral and emotional challenges, she added.

The proposal to ban mobile phone use in classrooms has gained broad support across society. According to a survey conducted by Yle, 85 percent of respondents believe that the use of mobile phones in schools for purposes other than studying should be restricted.

Experts highlight the need to address the details of the practical implementation of the restriction without infringing on children's basic rights. Current legislation prohibits a total ban on mobile phones for the entire school day, as it would violate students' rights.