News that cell phones, tablets and smartwatches will be largely banned from classrooms in the Netherlands (see Wednesday paper) effective January 1, 2024, came as a bit of a surprise. After all, recent indications were that a parliamentary majority did not exist for such a measure.
However, what Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf announced was an agreement with schools and related organisations, not a law. Should that prove insufficient, legal rules will follow, he added.
Exceptions include use to learn digital skills, for medical reasons or by persons with disabilities. Schools can find their own way to organise the ban and it will be interesting to see how they do so.
Some already require students to hand in their electronic devices before lessons start, which creates a responsibility to store them safely. Another option is that these must be turned off and/or kept inside school bags.
Those who may think this is not an issue on the island should speak to teachers. Even parents sometimes call their children during classes about often frivolous matters that can either wait or could have been arranged beforehand.
As pointed out in The Hague, research shows mobiles are a disturbance and there is little basis to dispute that or argue otherwise. St. Maarten’s educational authorities, school boards and administrators would therefore do well to closely monitor what’s happening in the Netherlands.
Perhaps local discussions can start on the best way to go about it here and thus ensure a comprehensive, more uniform approach. Following suit certainly seems worth considering.
