A ban on the use of mobile phones in school is coming, and there are five possible solutions for schools, says Diyan Stamatov - chairman of the Union of Heads of the Public Education System in Bulgaria (SRSNPB), who is also the principal of the capital's 119th Secondary School "Acad. Mihail Arnaudov", BTA reported.
The first option is for students' mobile phones to remain at home. The advantage of this categorical decision is that there will be no need for control by the school. The disadvantage, however, is that this solution is almost unfeasible, because students and parents insist on having constant contact via phones, notes Stamatov.
He explains that the second option is for mobile phones to remain in students' backpacks throughout the school day. The advantage of this solution is that it does not require additional costs, but the disadvantage is that it is difficult to control and will often be violated.
The third option is related to the possibility of handing over mobile phones at the entrance to schools for storage in a personal locker. The advantage here would be related to a clear and effective rule that eliminates the temptation for students to use their phones in class. The disadvantage of implementing this solution would be the high cost of purchasing lockers and the complex organization of storing mobile phones, says Diyan Stamatov.
According to him, the fourth option is for mobile phones to be collected at the beginning of the school shift and placed in non-lockable lockers. The advantage in this case is that this would be convenient for younger students and small schools, and would not require large investments. The disadvantage of its implementation is related to "low security and risk of tension in case of loss or damage to mobile phones", notes the chairman of the school principals' organization.
According to Diyan Stamatov, the fifth option is a "Japanese model", in which at the entrance to the school the mobile phone is automatically blocked or put on airplane mode, and upon leaving it is unlocked. The advantage here is that this is a modern and technological solution that eliminates the need to physically collect mobile devices. The disadvantage, however, is that it will require a special system or software, which may be expensive and difficult to implement, and carries a risk of technical problems.
Are there other solutions that we could implement together - this question is posed by the chairman of the Union of Heads of Public Education in Bulgaria, Diyan Stamatov.
ON THE BAN ON MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOL
We currently have a national policy, it is written in the Preschool and School Education Act (PSEA), and it came into force in 2016. It states that mobile phones cannot be used during school hours. This was stated by the Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev at the end of April in response to a parliamentary question from MP Ivan Belchev, who asked whether a national policy for restricting mobile phones in schools is planned.
There are a number of discussions and conversations, including in the public sphere, about whether the use of mobile phones in schools should be further restricted, the Minister of Education noted at the time.
"Our opinion is that they should be further restricted, although basic education takes place during school hours, but as the regulation states, in addition to school hours, we also have a number of additional activities - based on interests, in which mobile phones should also not be used. Teachers, school management, and parents believe that if we introduce a general ban, we will achieve additional results. Five minutes will not be wasted at the beginning of class to collect the phones, and students will have the opportunity during the break to concentrate for the next class. And they will use their phones less while they are at school. Such a general restriction, according to the dominant opinion, will be useful for everyone. I dare say that there is support from parents as well, and a large part of them believe that students should not use phones at school. But there are also many parents who want to be in touch with their children and hear them on the phones," said Minister Krasimir Valchev.
He noted that currently many schools, by decisions of the pedagogical councils and in coordination with parents, have introduced such general restrictions related to the use of mobile phones. But teachers and schools say that it would be much more useful if there was such a general ban and they would organize how to implement it, said the Minister of Education. Discussing the health aspects, we should also propose exceptions to the general rule. Such an exception is when mobile phones are used for health purposes, and when they are used for strictly educational purposes, this is also the case in other countries, said Minister Valchev at the time and has spoken on the topic of mobile phones many times since April.
And currently there is a general restriction on the use of mobile phones in class, but it is a fact that some teachers cannot impose discipline and compliance with this rule, because we do not have sufficiently mild sanctions for students. We will propose a change and addition to the system of sanctions, and to have more mild sanctions, the Minister of Education recently said.
He explained that the changes to the Preschool and School Education Act provide that mobile phones can be used for educational purposes, for medical needs and for other emergencies, but in general they lead to students becoming addicted to the screens of mobile devices.
The Ministry of Education and Science has prepared changes to the Preschool and School Education Act, which are related to proposals on about 20 topics. There are also two more draft laws for changes to the School Act. The changes to the Preschool and School Education Act are expected to be discussed in the plenary hall of the National Assembly. They were considered by the Education and Science Committee of the Parliament before the summer vacation of the deputies, as well as in September by the Committee on Demographic Policy, Children and Family. Then, at the meeting of this committee, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Dr. Emilia Lazarova, presented the changes in the draft law to the Council of Ministers, which was prepared based on the amendments of the Ministry of Education and Science to the Law on Educational and Vocational Training.