Smartphone bans in Dutch schools have improved learning, study finds | Netherlands

According to a study assigned by the Dutch government, the bans in smartphones in Dutch schools developed the learning environment despite the first protests.

Introduced in January 2024, national directives recommend that smartphones be banned from classes and almost all schools to comply with. While secondary schools ask students to leave their phones at home or put them in the cabinets, the phones are given one -fifth at the beginning of a course.

The researchers investigated 317 secondary school leaders, 313 primary schools and conducted 12 focus groups with teachers, lecturers, students and parents. Secondary schools reported Children found that they found concentrate (75%), the social environment better (59%) and some results were healed (28%).

Researcher of Kohnstamm Instituut Alexander Krepel said that the interactions between the students recovered the most. “It is not possible to take a secret photo of someone in the classroom and then spread it to a WhatsApp group, so there is an increase in social security,” he said. “Especially between the lessons, students will be on their phones and now they are forced to talk… Maybe they fight a little more often, but schools, teachers and students are very pleased with how the atmosphere is better.”

According to the Vo-Raad Secondary Education Council spokesman Freya Sixma, representing schools and board of directors, the first fears surrounding the ban proved that it was unfounded. “At first there were questions from schools, teachers, students, parents, all of them on how to work,” he said. “But now you see, actually everyone is quite happy.”

The study was shown in private schools where exceptions can be given for learning support devices, and about half of the ban has a positive or very positive effect. In primary schools, smartphones had no major impact before the ban, but one quarter was positive about it.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Mariëlle Paul said the national guide helped class discipline. “Teachers and school leaders stated that if an individual teacher wants to ban his mobile phone from his class, there would always be a discussion.” “More inexperienced teachers would have difficulty in implementing this.”

MPs can do take lessons from Paul added the results. “Even as adults, no matter what, applications, whatsapp, Snapchat or Instagram has made some kind of addiction. Once we tried to do for a discussion on education… But that was quite difficult.”

Statistics Netherlands 96% of children are online Almost every day, mostly from their phones. Last month, The guard recommended the government Parents would ban social media under the age of 15 and limit the screen time, while a deputy proposed a total prohibition on smartphones in schools.