School banning the use of mobile phones is a common phenomenon in the United States and other parts of the world.
The ban on mobile phones in the Netherlands began at Calvijn College. Official reports revealed that the country’s culture has been transformed.
Calvijn College officials started considering whether to ban mobile phones from their schools six years ago. However, the idea left some students horrified. The chair of the college, Jan Bakker, whose students are between age 12 and 18, stated, “We were asked whether we thought we were living in the 1800s.”
20% of students, teachers, and parents surveyed constantly opposed the idea, while the majority backed it. A handful of teachers argued that it would be better to embrace new technology rather than avoid it, while some parents are worried about not being able to reach their children during the day.
Some of the officials in the school pushed forward. Bakker stated, “Walking through the corridors and the schoolyard, you would see all the children were on their smartphones. Conversations were missing; the table tennis tables were empty.” “Basically, we were losing the social culture.”
Four years after one of the first schools in the Netherlands, Calvijn College became smartphone-free, no longer an outliner. A growing number of students across mainland Europe are forced to leave their phones behind as they head to the classroom.
In France, 200 secondary schools are testing a ban, while French-speaking primary schools in Belgium, Wallonia, and Brussels have moved forward with their restrictions. In Hungary, a new law requires schools to take students’ mobile phones and smart devices at the start of the day.
Greece and Italy have adopted slightly different methods. They permit students to carry mobile phones with them but ban them from using them in the classroom.
Students of Calvijn College either have to leave their phones at home or lock them up during the day. There were school officials who watched as the culture of the school transformed.
Bakker stated, “Basically what we had lost, we got back.” “The students playing with each other and talking to each other. And a lot less interruptions in the lessons.”
Other schools across the Netherlands are curious about the impact of the ban and getting in touch. Earlier this year, the Dutch government started a debate urging schools to ban mobile phones and digital devices from secondary schools across the country. The recommendations were recently extended to primary schools.
As secondary schools in the Netherlands geared up to implement the government’s recommendations, researchers at Radboud University seized the opportunity to take before-and-after snapshots of the change.
According to Loes Pouwels, one of the researchers, about a fifth of the students reported being less distracted once smartphones were limited. At the same time, teachers described students as being more focused and attentive to classroom work. “So, I think in terms of cognitive functioning, overall, it was a positive thing.”
Many students’ real-life social interactions and the quality of their interactions have improved. Cyberbullying has also decreased since students are offline more of the time.
Not all students embraced the idea even three months after the ban. 37% of the students still missed their smart devices, while 40% of the students stated they enjoyed their breaks going smartphone-free. One respondent said, “I am forced to socialize when I’m not in the mood.”
Officials at Calvijn College had little doubt that the ban on smart devices would have a positive impact. The idea was dropped after the changes were observed. Bakked stated, “That discussion is gone. Nobody is talking about that.”
