Brandenburg: New mobile phone ban - this is how society reacts!

Education Minister Steffen Freiberg (SPD) explains that this ban will be implemented in the course of a project of the coalition agreement. The new regulations should also serve to introduce children to the digital world and to strengthen media skills. Exceptions to this ban are possible in special cases, such as if teachers need use for teaching or is necessary for medical reasons, for example with diabetes -related applications. The Ministry of Education also plans to revise the administrative regulations for the organization of schools.

adjustments on site

schools have the opportunity to determine their own regulations in their house regulations. The Education and Science Union (GEW) welcomes the uniform regulation, but sees unresolved questions, for example with regard to the insurance of the devices.

Criticism comes from both the State Student Council and the GEW, the fear that the mobile phone ban could distract from more important educational issues. Opinions in society on this topic are shared, especially in view of the high smartphone use of young people in Germany. According to the Postbank Youth digital study 2023, young people spend an average of 36.9 hours on the smartphone.

context and study situation

A debate about the meaningfulness of mobile phone bans in schools has long been underway in Germany. Similar regulations have been successfully introduced in other countries such as Finland, Denmark and England. Some studies, such as one from England in 2016, show that schools with mobile phone bans tend to achieve better test results, especially with low -performance students.

A newer scoping review from 2024 has shown that the results are very different. While some studies prove positive effects, others show no significant relationships. Therefore, the design and enforcement of prohibitions is crucial. State student spokesman Stefan Tarnow explains that the debate about the compulsory military service and the financial planning of the state government distracts from the actual educational discussion. A solid dialogue about the future of educational and media literacy is therefore more important than ever.

The implementation of the mobile phone ban in Brandenburg could also have a signal for other federal states. In Berlin, for example, there is no general mobile phone ban for the time being, since schools can decide for themselves whether and how cell phone use is regulated in class.

The discussion about the role of smartphones in the education sector remains exciting and shows the challenges in front of which the schools are in the digital era. The final evaluation of these measures will be of central importance for both the actors on site as well as for the educational and political design.