The vote was unanimous: no to mobile phones in any space in schools and institutes, unless the student needs it for health reasons or, in the case of ESO, the teacher specifically requires it. But they should not be present during recess or the dining room. In return, the centers must offer alternative leisure activities. In post-compulsory studies, it is left to the discretion of the center. This is the conclusion of the report that the State School Council has sent today to the Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría. She has welcomed these conclusions, in line with the ministry’s position, which is to draw up instructions agreed upon with the regional governments.
“It has been approved unanimously, which is important, because all sectors – management, teachers, families, pedagogues – are represented,” said the president of the School Council, Encarna Cuenca, at the end of the meeting with the minister and in which the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, was also present. The council is a consultation and participation body made up of 107 members of the educational community.
The president has asked the council to prepare proposals based on the educational reinforcement plan that he announced last Sunday in Galicia and that today he extended to high school and Basic Vocational Training students.
Regarding mobile phones, Cuenca explained that the working group, made up of 21 participants, has concluded that while remaining aware of the need to train children and young people in the use of mobile devices, it is necessary to restrict them completely. in educational centers. “They carry dangers and must be trained in their use,” he has clearly indicated.
The council’s recommendation is that preschool and primary school children do not take it to school, except in exceptional cases, such as health cases. In secondary education, it recommends keeping them off during the entire school period, including leisure time. It could be used only as indicated by the teacher for a specific activity.
In the post-compulsory stage, high school and Vocational Training, it would be at the discretion of the management, “respecting the autonomy of the center.”
Alegría celebrated this proposal because it “is in line” with the position of the Government that opened this debate last December. Next Wednesday, January 31, he will convey these conclusions to the regional Education Ministers to try to reach an agreement and have them influence the decisions they make regarding the use of devices.
There are already five autonomous communities that prohibit the use of mobile phones during school hours: the Community of Madrid, Galicia, Andalusia, the Region of Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha.
Catalonia and the Basque Country have announced that they will restrict mobile phones in primary school but will let the institutes decide on their use. The Catalan Ministry will soon publish instructions with guidelines but its intention is to hold debates in all schools in Catalonia to raise awareness of good practices among families, students and teachers in this regard. In his opinion, a simple ban would prevent awareness. However, families have criticized this option because they want unanimity in the use of mobile phones in schools.
Likewise, the Department of Education considers that the criteria of educational centers must be respected, some of which have followed a digital plan with mobile phones for three years, applying healthy practices.
