Latvia to ban cellphones in elementary schools

Latvian lawmakers on Thursday approved final amendments to the education law, banning elementary school students from using cellphones unless required for educational purposes, reported Xinhua.

Starting next year, students in grades one through six will be prohibited from using their phones at school.

The cellphone ban in classrooms, proposed by opposition member of parliament (MP) Ceslavs Batna, received backing from ruling coalition lawmakers, the teachers' trade union, and the association of education leaders. The only opposition came from MPs of the Stability party.

The latest UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report on Technology in Education urges countries to establish their own guidelines for the development and use of technology in education, ensuring that it complements rather than replaces personal, teacher-led instruction.

The Netherlands, Greece and Italy have banned the use of mobile phones in the classroom, while Germany is currently debating whether to adopt a similar measure.