Baden-Württemberg: Handy ban at schools-the end of the distraction?

Baden-Württemberg: Handy ban at schools-the end of the distraction?

Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland - The state government of Baden-Württemberg has created a legal basis to strike the handling of smartphones strict. According to SWR , schools can officially issue a ban on private use of cell phones in the future. This decision was achieved as part of a tightening of the school law, which was agreed by the Greens and the CDU.

The Ministry of Culture will give schools recommendations to regulate the handling of smartphones, whereby primary schools in particular should make use of this option. Furthermore, secondary schools must not be ignored. These recommendations are necessary because the current regulations in which cell phones are collected before class are legally unsafe.

history and effects

The change in the law is expected to be passed by the state parliament at the end of 2023 and is expected to come into force in early 2026. By summer 2024, schools will receive a handout with concrete recommendations. Minister of Culture Theresa Schopper emphasizes the negative effects of cell phones on concentration, learning ability and mental health of the students. However, digital end devices such as tablets may continue to be used in class, and smartwatches also fall under the new regulations.

The discussion about mobile phone bans in schools is not only louder in Baden-Württemberg, but all over Germany. According to a current Study spend young people in Germany 36.9 hours on the smartphone every week. Interestments between the ages of 16 and 18 use their cell phone for over five hours a day, which has a major impact on their learning behavior and their social interactions.

study situation and international examples

In order to underpin the call for a mobile phone ban, some studies show positive effects of such measures. An investigation from England proves that schools with a mobile phone ban achieve improved test results, especially with low -performance students. In Sweden, however, no significant effect could be detected because the lessons are strongly digitized there. A new study by the University of Augsburg illustrates that a smartphone ban has positive effects on the social climate and the learning performance of the students, which is also confirmed by teachers who have observed impairment of the concentration by visible cell phones.

However, there are also critical voices. Scientists urge caution and emphasize the importance of pedagogical accompaniment in order to effectively implement a ban. The combination of prohibition and educational measures to promote media literacy could be more sensible in the long term.

In many European countries, including France, Italy and Great Britain, cell phones are already prohibited in schools. In Germany, a cell phone ban is increasingly required after the decline in student performance in PISA study 2022. However, responsibility lies with the individual federal states who can set up their own rules as long as they do not violate the fundamental rights of the students. The debate about cell phone use in schools is therefore complex and complex, and it remains to be seen how the new legal situation in Baden-Württemberg will be implemented.

At this point it is worth noting that the introduction of mobile phone bans in other countries has already proven itself. These experiences could serve as guidelines, while Germany is preparing for the upcoming changes.

The new regulation could therefore be a turning point for school culture in Baden-Württemberg and possibly serve as a model for other federal states.